Iraq parliament approves PM Al Kadhimi's new cabinet

Baghdad: Iraqi premier Mustapha Al Kadhimi formally took office early Thursday after parliament approved a cabinet line-up subject to a slew of 11th-hour changes to appease political parties.

A total of 255 of parliament’s 329 members took part in the vote, which was scheduled to take place at 9pm local but began well after midnight to accommodate the edits.

They approved 15 ministers out of a prospective 22-seat cabinet, with seven ministries — including the key oil and foreign affairs positions — still empty.

The government is tasked with holding early elections, navigating an economic crisis brought on by oil price crashes and coping with the deadly coronavirus pandemic.