Sadiqoon eyes Education, Industry ministries in Iraq cabinet talks

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Sadiqoon bloc is seeking to secure the Education and Industry ministries in Iraq’s next government as part of its electoral entitlement, a lawmaker from the bloc told Shafaq News on Saturday.

MP Zainab Al-Moussawi said the demand followed a meeting with Qais Al-Khazali, head of the Sadiqoon parliamentary bloc and secretary-general of the movement, to discuss its share.

Earlier this week, sources told Shafaq News that the Sadiqoon Movement, which holds 27 parliamentary seats, is expected to take the Labor and Industry ministries, in addition to a second deputy prime minister position.

The Coordination Framework, the largest bloc holding about 162 of parliament’s 329 seats, granted the Iraqi Prime Minister-designate, Ali Al-Zaidi, broader authority in selecting his cabinet following his nomination.

According to the sources, Al-Zaidi has begun formal steps to form the government by establishing two teams to draft the government program and nominate ministers. Negotiations are ongoing over distributing ministries based on a points system tied to parliamentary representation, under which service ministries require at least 10 seats, while sovereign portfolios require more than 15.

Read more: Iraq's prime minister: Easy nomination, harder road ahead