Prime Minister-designate Ali Al-Zaidi delivers a speech inside the Iraqi Parliament during the session to vote on confidence for the new government formation
Iraq’s parliament grants confidence to Zaidi government, approves 13 ministers
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s parliament voted Thursday to grant confidence to the government of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and approve his ministerial program during a session attended by 266 lawmakers.
Parliament approved 13 ministers by absolute majority vote: Fuad Hussein as foreign minister, Falih al-Sari as finance minister, Khalid Shwani as justice minister, Bassem Mohammed Khudair as oil minister, Mohammed Nouri Ahmed as industry minister, Ali Saad Wahib as electricity minister, Abdulhussein Aziz as health minister, Sarwa Abdulwahid as environment minister, Abdulrahim Jassim as agriculture minister, Muthanna Ali Mahdi as water resources minister, Mustafa Nizar Jumaa as trade minister, Abdulkarim Abtan as education minister and Mustafa Jabbar Sand as communications minister.
The approved ministers then took the constitutional oath before parliament.
Several nominees failed to secure confidence, including Ahmed Nazim al-Azzawi for planning, Amer al-Khuzaie and Qassem Atta for higher education and interior respectively from the State of Law Coalition, and Rebaz Hamlan for construction and housing from the KDP.
The culture ministry was also left unfilled.
Voting on defense, labor, migration and youth and sports ministries, along with deputy prime minister positions, was postponed. Parliament then adjourned the session.