Iraqi prime minister presents new cabinet list to parliament

Baghdad: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi named Nizar Salem Al Numan as a candidate for the key post of oil minister yesterday as part of a cabinet reshuffle aimed at fighting corruption, state television said citing its correspondent.

Al Abadi also named prominent Shiite politician Ali Allawi for the post of finance minister and tagged Sharif Ali Bin Al Hussain, a relative of Iraq’s king deposed in 1958, for foreign minister, state TV added.

Al Abadi presented his new cabinet lineup to parliament as part of a drive to form a technocrat government in the face of resistance from politicians who fear their entrenched interests could be hurt.

He merged several portfolios and presented a list of 16 ministers while keeping the current defence and interior ministers, state television said earlier.

The established political parties fear a reshuffle could weaken patronage networks that have sustained their wealth and influence for more than a decade.

But Al Abadi has to deliver on long-promised anti-corruption measures or risk weakening his government as Iraqi forces gear up to try and recapture the northern city of Mosul from Daesh.

Pressure is also coming from powerful Shiite leader Moqtada Al Sadr, who started a sit-in near parliament on Sunday and leads a bloc which includes three current ministers. He is pushing Al Abadi to appoint nominees unaffiliated with political parties.

Following Al Abadi’s speech to parliament, Al Sadr called on demonstrators to end their sit-in, describing the proposed cabinet lineup as “courageous” and urging lawmakers to put it to a vote.

Al Sadr, whose opinion holds sway with tens of thousands of supporters, warned party leaders last week that they would face street protests if they obstruct the government overhaul.

Parliament must vote on any cabinet changes. Yesterday it was slated to meet but decided to postpone its session until Saturday. Lawmakers said they might take up to ten days to respond to Al Abadi’s proposals.

Sunni politicians are demanding a complete cabinet reshuffle, Shiite lawmakers are divided in their stance on the new government and Kurdish politicians have insisted that 20 per cent of ministers in the new cabinet must be Kurdish. It is not clear if Al Abadi will propose a complete or partial reshuffle.

Al Abadi has repeatedly called for the current cabinet of party-affiliated ministers to be replaced with technocrats, but has faced resistance from powerful blocs and their ministers, who rely on their positions for patronage and financial gain.

In August, Al Abadi proposed a sweeping reform package to combat corruption, cut government spending and merge ministries, but his efforts have been stymied by sectarian tensions and struggles to contain Daesh.

- Agencies