The Lebanese Hezbollah party has been interfering in internal political affairs in Iraq, especially recent government formation efforts.
Iraqi sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the party’s official in charge of Iraqi affairs, Mohammed Kawtharani had informed Shiite leaderships in Baghdad of the need to support Falih al-Fayyad’s bid to become interior minister after head of the Sairoon bloc, Moqtada al-Sadr, had vetoed his appointment.
“Kawtharani, with the support of Iranian and Russian high ranking leaderships, informed Shiite forces in Iraq about the need to appoint Fayyad as interior minister,” the sources said, highlighting the official’s close ties with Syrian regime head Bashar Assad.
Leaderships from the Binaa coalition have already informed Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi of their support for Fayyad’s nomination, as well as Qusay al-Suhail’s appointment as justice minister.
Fayyad is a member of the Binaa coalition.
The Coalition also informed the PM it would not allow the Sairoon bloc to interfere and obstruct the appointment of those two figures at the mentioned ministries.
Abdul Mahdi announced last week that he will occupy key cabinet posts left unfilled by parliament’s vote Thursday on the government lineup.
Iraqi deputies had failed to vote on key ministries, including the defense and interior portfolios, forcing him to step in as caretaker minister.
Separately, former Minister of Interior and current MP Mohammed Salem Al-Ghabban from the Fatah Alliance, led by Badr Organization founder Hadi Al-Ameri, told Asharq Al-Awsat that his bloc insists on supporting Fayyad for the interior ministry post.
He added that there are no legal justifications for some parties to veto Fayyad’s nomination.
