The Iraqi parliament on Monday approved part of Prime Minister-designate Haider al-Abadi new cabinet, although the key defense and interior posts remained vacant. Former premiers Ayad Allawi and Nuri al-Maliki, along with parliament Speaker Osama al- Nujaifi, were voted as vice presidents. The appointments came hot on the heels of parliaments vote of confidence for Abadi to form a new government, with 177 MPs backing his bid, Al Arabiya News Channel reported. The vote followed a pledge by Abadi to resolve disputes with the countrys autonomous Kurdish region that had jeopardized their participation in his government. My government is committed to solve all suspended issues with the Kurdistan Regional Government, he said in a speech to parliament outlining his proposed government program. The premier-designates pledge came just hours after the Kurdish political bloc agreed to participate in a new government, reported Al Arabiya’s Baghdad correspondent. Abadis efforts to form a government faced some last-minute wrangling on the distribution of the Cabinet posts and the Kurdish blocs reluctance to join the national government. The Kurdish delegation had earlier deliberated over sticking issues, including the budget for the Kurdish region as well as their share in the new government. We are going back today to Suleimaniya [a Kurdish city] to have a decisive meeting with the Kurdish leaders on the status of the talks and the Kurds share of the government,” the Kurds top negotiator Hoshiyar Zebari told Reuters earlier. “The decision will be the Kurds nal decision either way.” In Bagdhad, the parliament had adjourned its session until 8pm Monday evening to vote on the formation of a new government. A parliamentary source said the session had been lifted after names of the members of Permanent Committees had been approved, according to Iraqi News. Abadi was expected to include in the government representatives of all Iraq’s religious and ethnic communities in order to avert the country’s collapse. According to Iraqi state television, the premier would have three deputies in the new government – one Shiite, one Sunni and one Kurd. Abadi has until September 10 to submit his government for approval, or the president is obligated to select another candidate for the premiership.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 13:27:03 +0000
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