After failing to rush confidence vote on Thursday, al-Sudani asks the parliament to set a date

Shafaq News/ Iraq's Prime Minister-designate Mohammad Shiyaa al-Sudani, in an official correspondence on Wednesday, asked the Iraqi parliament presidium to schedule a confidence vote on his cabinet.

Earlier today, the legislative body rejected a request submitted by the prime minister-designate to convene on Thursday to vote on the new government.

In his request on Tuesday, al-Sudani presented his government plan to parliament, saying he would send the list of his proposed Cabinet members later. But the legislative body turned down the request, saying a special committee has to study the government agenda first and prepare a report before the vote and that the only party to determine when the session will be held is the Parliament.

The prime minister-designate later submitted another request without proposing a date for the session.

Al-Sudani said in the Wednesday correspondence said, "we inform you that we are ready to present our ministerial lineup, appealing to your side to schedule a parliamentary session to present the candidates for the cabinet membership and the cabinet program before the ladies and gentlemen; the honored members of the Iraqi Council of Ministers, in order to hold a confidence vote."

It is still unknown whether the Parliament will announce the date for the session on Wednesday.

Horse trading between political factions competing for top government jobs is still underway. The names of the candidates are still being changed.

In an attempt to accelerate the government formation process, al-Sudani planned to submit only 16 of his 22 Cabinet members for confirmation. Other posts will be filled later; anonymous politicians told Shafaq News Agency.

Al-Sudani said in a statement earlier today that the "final scrutiny" into his cabinet lineup is underway, dismissing the rosters shared by media and social media activists as "not final".

Lawmaker Ebtisam al-Hilali said in a statement to Shafaq News Agency that al-Sudani will pull out a "surprise" during the confidence vote on his cabinet, but she did not disclose the nature of the surprise she referred to.