Parliament schedules confidence vote on Zaidi’s cabinet for Thursday

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s parliament published the agenda for a session scheduled Thursday, with a confidence vote on Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi’s ministerial program and cabinet as the main item.

The session will determine whether Zaidi secures parliamentary approval to form the next government before the constitutional deadline at the end of May. The agenda did not include details of the proposed cabinet lineup ahead of the vote.

Zaidi was nominated by the Coordination Framework on April 27 after both State of Law Coalition leader Nouri al-Maliki and outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani withdrew from the race. Cabinet negotiations in recent days have been marked by disputes among political blocs over ministerial allocations and reported U.S. conditions barring ministers linked to armed factions from the next government.