The Iraqi Parliament granted confidence on Thursday to the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and its ministerial program, in a session attended by more than 250 members of parliament, in addition to officials and senior political figures.
The session was attended by President Nizar Amidi, Supreme Judicial Council Chairman Faiq Zaidan, State of Law Coalition Chairman Nouri al-Maliki, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Party Chairman Bafel Talabani, National Wisdom Movement Chairman Ammar al-Hakim, Asaib Ahl al-Haq Movement leader Qais al-Khazali, as well as Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, Progress Party Chairman Mohammed al-Halbousi, and Sovereignty Alliance Chairman Khamis al-Khanjar.
According to a brief statement issued by the media department of the House of Representatives, “The Speaker of the House, Hebat Al-Halbousi, opened the proceedings of the 24th session of the first legislative term of the first legislative year, with 266 members of parliament in attendance.”
Fourteen ministers in Al-Zidi’s cabinet obtained a parliamentary “majority,” gaining the confidence of the members of the House of Representatives, in preparation for them to begin their new positions for the next four years.
The MPs voted for “Basim Muhammad Khudair as Minister of Oil, Muhammad Nouri Ahmed as Minister of Industry, Ali Saad Wahib as Minister of Electricity, Abdul Hussein Aziz as Minister of Health, Sarwa Abdul Wahid as Minister of Environment, Abdul Rahim Jassim as Minister of Agriculture, Muthanna Ali Mahdi as Minister of Water Resources, Mustafa Nizar Jumaa as Minister of Trade, Khalid Shawani as Minister of Justice (for a second term), Abdul Karim Abtan as Minister of Education, Wahab Salman Muhammad as Minister of Transport, Falih Al-Sari as Minister of Finance, Fuad Hussein as Minister of Foreign Affairs (for a second term), and Mustafa Jabbar Sand as Minister of Communications.”
Due to a dispute over the nominated names, the members of the House of Representatives failed to pass the nominees for the Ministries of Higher Education and Scientific Research (nominee Amer Al-Khazai), Planning (nominee Ahmed Nazim), and Interior (nominee Qasim Atta).
The political forces had previously decided to postpone the vote on the candidates for the ministries of “Defense, Labor and Social Affairs, Migration and Displacement, Reconstruction and Housing, Culture, and Youth and Sports” until after the Eid holiday, due to the American “veto” on the participation of the factions in the government cabinet, as well as the continued dispute over the nomination of candidates and the possibility of “rotating” these ministries among the political components.
The vote on the cabinet was not without objections, as MP Mohammed Al-Khafaji, from the “Ishraqat Kanoun” parliamentary bloc, announced that his bloc refused to vote on Al-Zidi’s government, due to the lack of balance in it.
In a press conference held at the parliament building with the participation of his bloc's deputies, he said, "The 'Ishraqat Kanun' bloc's initiatives focus on reforming the political system," explaining that "our political positions remain transparent and clear, and are directly linked to the approach to forming governments and the system that controls them."
He continued: “We refuse to vote for Al-Zidi’s government in the House of Representatives, and we will not grant it confidence due to the lack of balance between the government of the opposition majority, the participation of the political majority, and the continued disruption of the oversight role of the House of Representatives.”
He stressed, saying: “We categorically reject any creation of fictitious vice-presidential positions, which represent a waste of state resources and turn political participation into privileges, and there is a clear constitutional violation.”
He pointed out that “the constitution prohibits the Speaker of Parliament and senior officials from concluding contracts, and we have a proposed conflict of interest law and we will seek to legislate it as soon as possible.”
He explained that “the internal and external challenges of the current stage require the most important standards of integrity in selecting candidates for the ministerial cabinet, and the ministerial program did not meet the aspirations according to the plans and program, standards of competence, silence on combating corruption, and lack of addressing the problems.”
He pointed out that “the formation of the new government does not negate the previous performance of the past government,” stressing that “the new government should notcover up any of the previous decisions.”
Despite these objections, they had no impact on the government's progress and the ministerial program in parliament.
In his first “post” after being granted confidence, the new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zidi, expressed his thanks and gratitude to “the House of Representatives and the national political forces for granting confidence to the government, in a position that embodies the high national interest and the spirit of partnership and responsibility.”
He stressed that “this trust represents a great responsibility and a pledge to our dear people that we will move steadily towards consolidating stability, enhancing the prestige of the state, and achieving the aspirations of Iraqis for development, justice, and a decent life.”
Meanwhile, President Nizar Amidi stressed the importance of completing the government cabinet as quickly as possible and proceeding with the implementation of its ministerial program.
In a press statement, he considered that “the House of Representatives’ vote on the cabinet is a pivotal national milestone and a very important constitutional step towards consolidating political stability, strengthening Iraq’s security and sovereignty, and unifying efforts to confront current challenges and meet obligations.”
The President congratulated Al-Zidi and the ministers on “gaining the confidence of the esteemed House of Representatives, and we look forward to completing the cabinet as soon as possible, in order to ensure the effective launch of the government program and the fulfillment of the aspirations of the Iraqis.”
He expressed his gratitude to “Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and the members of his government for their efforts during the past period, and for their diligence in managing their responsibilities and serving the people of our nation.”
