Al-Zaydi assigns Hussein Al-Awadi to manage the Ministry of Interior.
Al-Zaydi assigns Hussein Al-Awadi to manage the Ministry of Interior.
2026-05-16
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali Faleh al-Zaidi assigned the senior undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, Hussein al-Awadi, to temporarily manage the ministry until a new minister is named to succeed Abdul Amir al-Shammari.
An informed source told Shafaq News Agency that Al-Awadi’s appointment aims to “manage the ministry’s affairs” until the file of the new Minister of Interior is resolved within the government formation.
Al-Awadi has held the position of Senior Undersecretary (Administrative and Financial) of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior since his appointment in September 2020, during the government of Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. His appointment at that time provoked the ire of the State of Law Coalition, as the position was considered to be within its traditional administrative quota.
Al-Awadi has a parliamentary background, having previously served as a member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives and chaired the Energy and Fuel Committee during the third parliamentary session (2014-2018).
The assignment comes in conjunction with political activity within the Coordination Framework forces regarding the completion of the cabinet. A high-ranking political source revealed to Shafaq News Agency on Saturday that the State of Law Coalition, led by Nouri al-Maliki, has begun studying the names of a number of security and military leaders to choose a second candidate to head the Ministry of Interior alongside Qasim Atta.
According to the source, the political forces within the coordination framework are seeking to redraw the map of ministerial distribution, amid moves to announce a new alliance under the name “Alliance of the Strong” led by Maliki, following disagreements that accompanied the vote on the government formation and the distribution of positions.
shafaq.com
