Iraq Finance Minister Nominee Withdraws Candidacy

Cites Partisan Bickering as Reason to Withdraw

Iraqi Prime Minister Hayder Abadi’s proposed technocrat cabinet is looking shakier by the day, as another high-profile figure, nominee Finance Minister Ali Allawi, has withdrawn himself from candidacy, citing “political interventions and partisan bickering.”

Allawi, who had previously served as finance minister for the Jaafari government, is the second nominee to withdraw himself, after Oil Minister Nizar Saleem Numaan similarly withdrew on Friday, citing complaints from the Kurdish parties.

Political analysts suggested that no more than half of Abadi’s 16-seat cabinet was likely to pass parliamentary votes, but in the first week he’s already lost two candidates without any votes at all. The cabinet was meant to meet an ultimatum last week by parliament.

The deadline was met, but since then many parties have complained Abadi didn’t ask them for specifics on the nominees. Abadi, for his part, insists he had been requesting input for months.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.