Iraqi parliament approves Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s government

The Iraqi parliament on Thursday approved the government of Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi and its ministerial program, according to the official Iraqi News Agency (INA).

Al-Zaidi and the ministers who secured parliamentary confidence took the constitutional oath, formally assuming their duties.

Parliament granted confidence to 14 ministers during the session.

According to the agency, around 270 lawmakers attended Thursday’s session out of a total of 329 members in the assembly.

The parliament then proceeded to vote on ministers individually, most notably Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, while voting on other ministers was postponed due to a lack of political consensus, according to INA.

Alongside Hussein, the parliament approved Khaled Shwani as justice minister, Falih Al-Sari as finance minister, Bassem Al-Abadi as oil minister, Sarwa Abdul Wahid as environment minister, Mustafa Sanad as communications minister, and Ali Wahib as electricity minister.

The cabinet also included Abdul Karim Abtan as education minister, Wahab Salman as transport minister, Mohammed Al-Karbouli as industry minister, Mustafa Nizar as trade minister, Abdul Hussein Aziz as health minister, Abdul Rahim Jassim as agriculture minister, and Muthanna Al-Tamimi as water resources minister.

The parliamentary session was adjourned without setting a date for voting on the remaining nine cabinet portfolios: planning, reconstruction, labor, interior, youth, higher education, defense, culture and migration.

Al-Zaidi was tasked by Iraqi President Nizar Amidi on April 27 with forming the government after the Coordination Framework alliance, the largest parliamentary bloc, agreed on his nomination for prime minister.