Badr drops bid for Interior Ministry, accepts ministries ‘nobody wants’ instead

BAGHDAD — Badr Organization lawmaker Abu Turab al-Tamimi revealed Tuesday that Badr had withdrawn from competition over the Interior Ministry and accepted the Transport and Water Resources ministries instead, as negotiations over cabinet allocations in Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi’s proposed government continue.

“We took the Transport Ministry, which nobody wants, and we also received Water Resources despite fears of being blamed for the historic drought,” Tamimi said in a televised interview. He said the Oil Ministry had gone to outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development bloc “as their entitlement.”

Tamimi described Zaidi as “a successful businessman” but said he lacked political and security strength, adding that selecting professional ministers would be necessary for the government to succeed. He said disputes over ministries and disagreements over nominees had delayed government formation.

The Sunni bloc’s proposed allocations were also published Tuesday by Taqaddum Party media official Adel Faraj. The list showed Industry and Education going to Mohammed al-Halbousi’s Taqaddum along with a deputy prime minister post, Trade to Khamis al-Khanjar’s Sovereignty Alliance, Defense to Hasm, Culture to Al-Jamahir and Planning to Azm.

Zaidi faces a constitutional deadline at the end of May to present his cabinet for a confidence vote. Disputes persist within the Coordination Framework over ministerial allocations and reported U.S. conditions barring ministers linked to armed factions from the next government.