Iraq's new cabinet: CF gives more powers to Al-Sudani to choose the ministers

Shafaq News/ Al-Fateh Alliance, a prominent part of the Coordination Framework, revealed new details about the portfolios in Muhammad Shia'a Al-Sudani's government.

Muhammad Al-Baldawi, a member of Al-Fateh, told Shafaq News Agency that it is predicted to hold a parliamentary session next Monday or Tuesday to discuss the new government formation, stressing that talks among the political parties are continuing.

Al-Baldawi pointed out that the nominees for the so-called "sovereign ministries," such as defense, are from the parties with the highest representation.

He added that the Coordination Framework (CF) delegated the Prime Minister-designate to select the new ministers for all portfolios, including the defense and interior ministries.

"The Framework instructed Al-Sudani to choose his cabinet's ministers from the names submitted by the political blocs or to propose new candidates." He confirmed.

The ongoing discord over the sovereign portfolios delays the formation of al-Sudani's incoming cabinet, a leading figure in the Shiite Coordination Framework said on Saturday.

"All the parties and movements are involved in this ongoing dispute," al-Hekmah movement's Raheem al-Abboudi told our Agency, "it revolves around the sovereign ministries: interior, defense, foreign affairs, finance, and oil."

"The negotiations are underway to reach common ground and hold a confidence vote on al-Sudani's cabinet next week," he added.

Sunni parties are also wrangling over the defense portfolio with three front-runners vying for the post, a parliamentary source familiar with the matter said.

The source said that the sovereign Ministry in al-Sudani's cabinet had pitied the Sunni al-Siyada and al-Azm blocs in a tense competition.

"Beside lawmaker Khaled al-Obaidi, the front-runners are Major-General Naser Ghannam, who al-Siyada backs, and Major-General Hamad Names al-Jubouri, backed by al-Azm," the source added.

"Talks are underway to come up with a secret deal to resolve the dispute," the source said, "the rival parties are not likely to find common ground. As a result, the Ministry might end up under the administration of the premiership."

Incumbent Mustafa al-Kadhimi's cabinet has been operating as a caretaker since October 10, 2021; the longest run of a caretaker government in Iraq's history.