Shafaq News / The Iraqi parliament announced on Thursday, that its Speaker, Muhammad Al-Halbousi has received the names of the cabinet candidates for the vacant portfolios.

The parliament didn’t mention the candidates or ministries’ names.

It is noteworthy that 7 ministries in Mustafa Al-Kadhimi's government are still vacant, namely (Oil, Foreign Affairs, Justice, Trade, Agriculture, Immigration and Displaced , and Culture) Ministries.

On Tuesday -May 12- Al-Kadhimi issued bureau orders, which include assigning current ministers in the vacant portfolios.

Among these orders was to assign the Minister of Education with the mission of the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Finance with the mission of the Minister of Oil, the Minister of Youth and Sports with the mission of the Minister of Culture, the Minister of Education as the Minister of Trade and the Minister of Transport as the Minister of Immigration and Displacement.

The Iraqi parliament approved a new government headed by Al-Kadhimi, after six months of deadlock without a government as the country battles an economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic., where two commissioners before Al-Kadhimi, namely Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi and Adnan Al-Zurfi had been rejected because no consensus was obtained by the political forces.

As voting on the Oil and Foreign Affairs portfolios was postponed after the parties failed to agree on candidates. The deputies rejected Al-Khadimi’s  picks for trade, justice, culture, agriculture and migration portfolios.