Azm Alliance demands ‘political review’ after parliament rejects its ministerial nominees

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Sunni Azm Alliance called Thursday for a “serious political review” after parliament withheld confidence from its nominees for the planning and culture ministries during the session approving Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government.

The alliance said the failure to approve Ahmed Nazim al-Azzawi for planning and Ibrahim al-Namis for culture “requires a serious political review in a way that preserves the principle of partnership and political balance, and guarantees respect for the entitlements produced by the electoral process and the understandings between political forces.”

The alliance said its support for passing the government “came from a sense of national responsibility and the desire to preserve the stability of the state,” but stressed that this “does not mean giving up its political rights or the entitlements of its constituency.”

The parliamentary session was also marked by verbal disputes and physical altercations between lawmakers over several nominations, particularly the nomination of Lt. Gen. Qassem Atta for the interior ministry by the State of Law Coalition. Parliamentary sources said tensions involved lawmakers from State of Law, Azm and the Kurdistan Democratic Party, with disagreements centered on objections to candidates proposed by rival blocs.

Parliament approved 14 ministers Thursday during a session attended by 266 lawmakers before Zaidi and the cabinet took the constitutional oath. Confidence was withheld from nominees for planning, higher education, interior, construction and housing and culture. Voting on defense, labor, migration and youth and sports was postponed pending further political agreements.