“One basket” is Al-Zaydi’s way to fill the vacancies: a discussion with Al-Maliki to resolve the issue.
“One basket” is Al-Zaydi’s way to fill the vacancies: a discussion with Al-Maliki to resolve the issue.
2026-09-29
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Tuesday, an informed government source revealed a proposed mechanism for completing the cabinet in the event that political agreement cannot be reached on candidates for the vacant ministries or their distribution among the political forces. This coincided with a visit by the head of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, to Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to discuss the same issue.
The source informed Shafaq News Agency of the details of the inability to finalize the candidates for the vacant ministries, including the security ministries (Interior and Defense), and the continued state of disagreement between the political forces and leaders.
According to him, this will push towards passing the candidates according to the “single basket” mechanism, to complete the government cabinet headed by Ali al-Zidi, who was authorized by most of the political forces to choose whomever he sees fit for the vacant ministries.
The mechanism will also include the positions of deputy prime ministers, in order to avoid a political veto, given that the Kurdish forces have not yet agreed on who should hold the position of deputy prime minister, whether it belongs to the Kurdistan Democratic Party or the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, according to the source.
In a related context, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi received Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, and discussed with him the importance of continuing understandings and dialogues between national political forces to complete the formation of the government, as well as supporting the government’s efforts in combating corruption, achieving reforms, and consolidating stability.
In addition, the government source pointed out that “the coordination framework, after the conclusion of the celebrations marking the withdrawal of US forces from the entire country, will appoint a delegation to visit the Kurdistan Region to decide on the identity of the second deputy prime minister, in addition to the candidates for the ministries that fall within the Kurdish share in the federal government.
According to the source, the government cabinet will be completed after the conclusion of the Sovereignty Day ceremonies and events, noting that a televised speech by the Prime Minister on behalf of Iraq will be broadcast on this occasion, and this matter was discussed in previous meetings of the coordination framework.
On May 14, the Iraqi parliament voted to approve Ali al-Zaidi’s government and its ministerial program, including 14 ministers. Voting on the remaining nine ministries was postponed until further notice due to ongoing political disagreements over the distribution of portfolios, amid reports of international warnings against including armed factions in the new cabinet.
Since then, the coordination framework has authorized Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to make contacts with the heads of the political blocs and entities participating in the government, whose candidates for the vacant ministries have not yet been decided up to the time of writing this report.
shafaq.com
