MP: The cabinet will be completed next week.
MP: The cabinet will be completed next week.
2026-08-09 07:45
Shafaq News – Baghdad
MP Ahmed Al-Moussawi, from the Sadiqun parliamentary bloc, confirmed on Sunday that the names of candidates for the vacant ministerial portfolios will be announced next week.
Al-Moussawi told Shafaq News Agency that the political dialogues and meetings between the blocs have reached the final stages to finalize the formation of the ministerial cabinet.
He added that the names of the ministers will be sent from Prime Minister Ali al-Zidi to the House of Representatives, after they are finalized next week, and then a date will be set for holding a session to vote on completing the cabinet.
He pointed out that “according to the electoral entitlement, the Sadiqun bloc will get a ministerial portfolio and the position of Deputy Prime Minister, and negotiations are ongoing and will be decided before the announcement of the candidates’ names.”
It is worth noting that a source revealed to Shafaq News Agency a few days ago that Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali al-Zaidi is still committed to managing the Ministries of Defense and Interior in an “acting” capacity, given his satisfaction with the performance of the current leadership, denying the existence of any political agreement or intention to decide on the names of the two ministers at the present time.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that “Al-Zaydi is satisfied with the performance of the officials who are managing the Ministries of Defense and Interior on an acting basis, and he personally supervises the work of the two ministries. He has also set special criteria and controls for selecting any candidate to assume the two positions.”
He added that “what is being circulated regarding the selection of candidates for the Ministries of Defense or Interior is baseless, as this file is still postponed at the moment, due to the government’s preoccupation with other priorities, most notably addressing the financial crisis, expanding economic and investment partnerships, in addition to unifying efforts to calm regional conditions.”
Two days ago, Al-Zaydi directed the attendance of the undersecretaries of the vacant ministries at the Cabinet sessions until their ministers are named, as he authorized the undersecretaries of the Ministries of Defense, Interior, Planning, Reconstruction, Housing and Municipalities, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Culture, Labor and Social Affairs, Migration and Displacement, and Youth and Sports to manage the affairs of their ministries, with the exception of the exclusive powers that are presented to the minister assigned to manage the ministry in an acting capacity.
On May 14, 2026, the Iraqi parliament granted confidence to the government of Ali Faleh al-Zaidi and its ministerial program, and voted on 14 ministers out of 23, while nine portfolios remained postponed due to disagreements over names and quotas, including the Interior, Defense, Higher Education and Planning ministries.
It is worth noting that the State Administration Coalition, in its last meeting a few days ago, called for expediting the completion of the government formation and sending the government program to the House of Representatives for discussion and approval.
shafaq.com
