Iraq's political parties have reached a final agreement with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to complete his government, with parliament expected to vote on nine outstanding ministerial appointments and four deputy prime ministers on Thursday, political sources told The New Arab.
The agreement could end more than five months of political deadlock that has prevented Zaidi from completing his cabinet since taking office in May, amid disputes between political blocs over the distribution of ministries and the selection of candidates.
Kareem Aliwi, a lawmaker from the ruling Coordination Framework, told TNA that a final agreement had been reached following talks between Zaidi, the alliance and representatives of other political parties.
"In the past few hours, following a meeting between the Coordination Framework and Zaidi, and in agreement with our partners in the other political blocs and parties, a final agreement was reached to hold a parliamentary session this Thursday to complete the cabinet," Aliwi said.
He added that parliament would also vote on four deputy prime ministers whose appointments had been agreed between the prime minister and the relevant political blocs.
The four candidates are Laith al-Khazali, brother of Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq movement; Mohammed Tamim, a former planning minister; Mohsen al-Mandalawi, head of the Al-Asas Iraqi Coalition; and Fares al-Barifkani, a former chairman of parliament's Health and Environment Committee.
Aliwi also revealed the nine candidates selected to fill the remaining vacant ministries:
- Safaa al-Kinani: Youth and Sports
- Yasser al-Maliki: Interior
- Haider Bahaa: Higher Education
- Mohammed al-Moussawi: Labour
- Nayef al-Shammari: Defence
- Yassin al-Ithawi: Culture
- Mohammed Ali al-Nuaimi: Planning
- Ali al-Dakhili: Tourism
- Mohammed Sahib al-Darraji: Digital Technology
According to Aliwi, all nine candidates have received the approval of Zaidi and the political parties involved in the negotiations.
He said the prime minister had also held individual meetings with the nominees in recent days before their appointments were finalised.
"These names have been approved by Zaidi and all political forces and will be passed during Thursday's session without any disagreements or obstacles," Aliwi said.
Salah al-Kubaisi, a senior figure in the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance, separately confirmed to TNA that an agreement had been reached to convene parliament on Thursday to complete the cabinet and appoint the deputy prime ministers.
Kubaisi said the breakthrough followed a series of negotiations and understandings between political parties aimed at overcoming the disputes that had delayed the formation of the full government for more than five months.
He described the planned parliamentary vote as an important step towards ending political paralysis and enabling the government to carry out its responsibilities.
The agreement, he added, demonstrated the importance of political consensus and the need to translate negotiations into concrete parliamentary action.
Iraq's parliament granted confidence to Zaidi's government in mid-May, approving just 14 of the proposed 23 ministers.
The remaining nine portfolios were left vacant as political factions failed to agree on candidates and the distribution of ministerial posts.
In early September, the ruling Coordination Framework announced that an agreement on the remaining ministries was close and that parliament could vote on the nominees within a week.
However, that deadline passed without a breakthrough, forcing political leaders to resume negotiations.
Repeated attempts to reach a compromise subsequently stalled over disagreements concerning key ministries, with political influence and electoral calculations further complicating efforts to complete the cabinet.
Thursday's planned vote would mark the first major breakthrough in the months-long dispute, potentially allowing Zaidi to begin governing with a full ministerial team for the first time since his appointment.