Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq's Coordination Framework (CF), parliament’s largestbloc, has “indirectly” supported Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi to choosecandidates for several disputed cabinet posts, during a meeting between the PMand CF leaders, a source told Shafaq News on Thursday.
Al-Zaidi and his team will begin reviewing candidates' CVsand assessing a list of names that are not affiliated with political factionsto head the ministries of Defense, Interior, HigherEducation, and Planning. The source noted that participants also agreedto create a Ministry of Tourism as part of a political compromise. The postwould be allocated either to the Al-Nahj National Alliance, led by AbdulHussein Al-Moussawi, or the Services (Khadamat),led by Shibl al-Zaidi,depending on which holds a larger number ofparliamentary seats.
The meeting stressed the importance of supporting thegovernment's efforts to dismantle factional weapons through a specificmechanism and within a defined timeframe. Participants also discussed USproposals to equip Iraq with an expanded security arsenal, including radarsystems to protect Iraqi airspace as well as advanced weapons and militaryequipment. The sources noted that “if all political forces approve theproposals, Al-Zaidi's planned visit to Washington would carry significantimportance.”
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According to the source, a high-level committee comprisingministers and experts will be formed to study the proposed partnerships andinvestment projects presented by the US envoy Tom Barrack. The committee willprepare a guarantees framework aimed at securing benefits for Iraq and helpingaddress financial, environmental, and energy-related challenges.
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