Exclusive: No ministerial appointments accepted, and the formation of al-Zidi’s cabinet postponed until after Washington.
Exclusive: No ministerial appointments accepted, and the formation of al-Zidi’s cabinet postponed until after Washington.
2026-07-04
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The Shiite Coordination Framework, on Saturday, linked the completion of the ministerial formation of Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi’s government to the results of his upcoming visit to the United States, stressing that the vacant ministries will not be decided before his return from Washington.
MP Amer Al-Fayez, a leader in the coordination framework, told Shafaq News Agency that the House of Representatives will resume its work with the start of the new legislative session, with its first regular session to be held next Monday, but the vote on the new ministers will be postponed to a later stage.
Al-Fayez explained that Al-Zidi will submit the names of candidates for the vacant ministerial portfolios after completing his political consultations, noting that the vote on the government cabinet “will not take place before the Prime Minister’s visit to the United States, but rather after his return, due to the continued disagreements and obstacles related to the names of some of the candidates.”
He added that a number of political blocs “are still working on completing their internal requirements and finalizing their candidates for ministries,” which has delayed the completion of the government at the present time.
The leader in the coordination framework confirmed that nine ministries remain vacant in Al-Zidi’s government, denying any discussion within the framework or the House of Representatives regarding the creation of new ministries or the cancellation of others.
These developments coincide with al-Zaidi’s anticipated visit to Washington in mid-July, at the invitation of US President Donald Trump, which is seen as a pivotal moment in shaping the relationship between Baghdad and Washington.
According to information obtained earlier by Shafaq News Agency, Al-Zaidi will discuss economic and investment files during the visit, most notably the release of frozen Iraqi financial guarantees in the United States estimated at about $30 billion, in addition to security and political files related to the future of cooperation between the two countries.
shafaq.com
