Iraq's parliament to vote on new cabinet next week

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's Council of Representatives announced Monday that a confidence vote on the new federal government will be held next week, with prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi expected to submit his cabinet lineup and governing program by the end of this week.

Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi, presiding over a session on Monday attended by 217 out of 329 lawmakers, said the parliamentary committees on strategic planning and the governmental program would review the submission before it is put to a vote.

Muhammad al-Shammari, a lawmaker from the Parliamentary Services bloc (Khadamat), told Shafaq News that the incoming cabinet is expected to comprise 22 ministerial portfolios, distributed as follows: 12 for Shiite Coordination Framework factions, 6 for Sunni blocs, and 4 for Kurdish parties.

A political source who spoke to Shafaq News earlier this week said the Ministry of Higher Education would go to the Taqaddum party —led by Mohammad al-Halbousi and holding 27 seats— while the Ministry of Defense would be allocated to the al-Azm Alliance, led by Muthanna al-Samarrai, which holds 15 seats.

Al-Zaidi was nominated last week by the Framework following the withdrawal of both caretaker Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani and State of Law leader Nouri al-Maliki from contention.