Roster of Iraq's ambassador sparks controversy: partisan quota is the criterion

Shafaq News/ Lawmakers and Political analysts lambasted the quota system embedded in the roster of the Iraqi ambassadors issued by the Iraqi government.

The Member of the Parliamentary Committee for External Relations, Mukhtar al-Mosawi, told Shafaq News agency, "the appointment of ambassadors and their representation outside the country exhibit a form of quota."

Al-Mosawi pilloried the early timing of those appointments, "I demand postponing it to the next parliamentary rotation and the subsequent government."

In a statement to our agency, Saad al-Lami, an official of al-Nasr Coalition, said, "We categorically deny all forms of the quota, governmental or parliamentary."

"As a Coalition, we do not have a representation in the list because we deny this behavior. States cannot be built by partisan, sectarian, and national quotas. In fact, they are built by well-considered ways by the national unity, equal chances, justice in the applicants' distribution, and equal standards."

Political analyst Sabah al-Ugaili said, "the issue of ambassadors is a part of the electoral campaigning and roots back to agreements," hinting at "a deal between the political blocs."