Iraq Parliament to Confirm New Cabinet Next Week

(MENAFN) Iraq's parliament announced Monday that the names of proposed cabinet members would be put to a parliamentary vote next week, advancing the country's government formation process under prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi.

The announcement came during a legislative session chaired by parliament speaker Haibet al-Halbousi, according to a statement issued by the parliament's media office. Al-Halbousi further disclosed that parliament anticipates receiving al-Zaidi's government program by the end of this week, allowing relevant parliamentary committees to begin their review ahead of the confidence vote.

The developments follow Iraqi President Nizar Amedi's April 27 designation of al-Zaidi as prime minister-designate. Al-Zaidi was nominated by the Coordination Framework — the country's largest parliamentary bloc and an umbrella alliance of Shiite political parties. Under Iraq's constitution, the prime minister-designate is afforded 30 days from the date of appointment to present both his proposed cabinet and government program to parliament for a formal confidence vote.

The unfolding process adheres to the carefully calibrated power-sharing arrangement that has governed Iraqi politics since 2003, under which the presidency is reserved for a Kurdish figure, the parliamentary speakership for a Sunni Muslim, and the prime ministership for a Shiite Muslim — a sectarian formula designed to maintain political balance across the country's deeply divided communities.

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