PM Al-Zaidi to lead selection of disputed cabinet posts
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq's Coordination Framework (CF), parliament’s largest bloc, has “indirectly” supported Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi to choose candidates for several disputed cabinet posts, during a meeting between the PM and CF leaders, a source told Shafaq News on Thursday.
Al-Zaidi and his team will begin reviewing candidates' CVs and assessing a list of names that are not affiliated with political factions to head the ministries of Defense, Interior, Higher Education, and Planning. The source noted that participants also agreed to create a Ministry of Tourism as part of a political compromise. The post would be allocated either to the Al-Nahj National Alliance, led by Abdul Hussein Al-Moussawi, or the Services (Khadamat), led by Shibl al-Zaidi,depending on which holds a larger number of parliamentary seats.
The meeting stressed the importance of supporting the government's efforts to dismantle factional weapons through a specific mechanism and within a defined timeframe. Participants also discussed US proposals to equip Iraq with an expanded security arsenal, including radar systems to protect Iraqi airspace as well as advanced weapons and military equipment. The sources noted that “if all political forces approve the proposals, Al-Zaidi's planned visit to Washington would carry significant importance.”
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According to the source, a high-level committee comprising ministers and experts will be formed to study the proposed partnerships and investment projects presented by the US envoy Tom Barrack. The committee will prepare a guarantees framework aimed at securing benefits for Iraq and helping address financial, environmental, and energy-related challenges.
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