The Iraqi parliament failed on Tuesday in filling the vacant posts of the interior and defense ministries as it voted on nominees for the remaining members of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi’s cabinet.
It did, however, approve three out of five ministers put forward by the premier, a step toward ending weeks of deadlock between the two largest parliamentary blocs.
Intensifying disagreements between the rival Islah and Bina blocs, led by cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Hadi al-Amiri, have prevented the formation of a full government of 22 ministers months after the May parliamentary elections.
Nuri al-Dulaimi, Qusay al-Suhail and Abdul Ameer al-Hamdani were confirmed to be ministers for planning, higher education and culture, respectively. They were approved after the Islah and Bina blocs agreed to allow a vote on five outstanding ministries - but not the defense and interior portfolios.
The nominees for minister of education and minister of displacement and migration — the only women to be put forward so far — both failed to get enough votes.
“We voted for the ministries which were not shrouded in disagreements,” said Sabah al-Ugaili, a lawmaker with the bloc led by Sadr.
“Three won confidence, and two did not because we are not satisfied the candidates were fit for the job. Now the ball is in Abdul Mahdi’s court, to replace them with other names — including the defense and interior ministries.”
Parliament will next meet on Thursday, but it is unclear whether nominees for the vacant posts will be put up for confirmation votes.
In his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Abdul Mahdi said he expected a vote to take place on Thursday, however the most contentious ministries could be delayed to next week.
Abdul Mahdi said it was up to the political blocs to propose new names to fill the posts.
Tuesday’s confirmations come two days after the PM’s controversial nominee to head the Interior Ministry returned to his former posts as the chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and national security adviser to the prime minister.
Falih al-Fayadh retook his seat at a National Security Council meeting on Sunday after he was sacked from his positions by caretaker prime minister Haidar al-Abadi in August for political behavior.
Fayadh has been at the center of the deadlock surrounding Abdul Mahdi's appointees.
Sadr’s Sairoun bloc is opposing Fayadh's appointment at the Interior Ministry, saying it wants to limit outside influence in politics. Sadr's bloc won the largest share of seats in the parliamentary elections.
