Iraqi PM Forms New Govt After May Elections

14 ministers accepted, several yet to be agreed on

Iraq’s new Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi has been successfully sworn in by parliament on Wednesday, and they went on to approve the manority of his cabinet in a four-hour session, capping the May election.

A Supreme Islamic Council figure, Abdul-Mahdi ran as an independent candidate in May, but emerged as a compromise candidate for many parties, owing to his long history in previous cabinets.

While Abdul-Mahdi was trying to get more or less a unified parliament, Osama Nujaifi’s Decision Alliance has withheld support from the new government, and from its assorted candidaes for cabinet ministries.

14 ministers have already been approved, of 22 under consideration. Some MPs say they need more time, with accusations that others may hold fake degrees. Neither the Interior or Defense Ministries have a candidate, in keeping with influential cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s call to keep those posts in his hands.

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.