Iraq to fill vacant cabinet posts after US visit

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's parliament will vote on nominees for the remaining nine cabinet posts by the end of July, after Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi returns from his upcoming visit to the United States, a lawmaker said on Wednesday.

Mortada Al-Saadi, a member of the Reconstruction and Development bloc led by former prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, told Shafaq News that political forces had reached a broader understanding on filling the vacant ministerial posts, although some previously nominated candidates failed to secure parliamentary approval due to political objections.

Al-Saadi added that political parties and the ruling Shiite Coordination Framework were expected to replace some nominees before parliament votes on the remaining ministerial portfolios.

Al-Zaidi is scheduled to travel to Washington on July 15 at the invitation of US President Donald Trump. The visit, according to his office, is expected to focus on economic and investment issues, including discussions on the release of about $30 billion in Iraqi bank guarantees held in the United States.

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