Iraqi parliament approves two Kurdish ministers, completing Sudani’s cabinet
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s parliament convened on Saturday, approving two Kurdish ministers over one month after Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani’s cabinet was formed. The vote completed the 23-minister cabinet.
Sudani was tasked with forming a new government on October 13, after more than a year of political bickering since the parliamentary elections in October 2021. The parliament approved 21 members of the cabinet in late October.
However, due to disputes between both Kurdish ruling parties - the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) - voting on two ministers was postponed.
The legislature convened on Saturday, approving KDP’s Bangin Rekani as the minister of construction and housing and PUK’s Nizar Mohammed as the minister of environment, reported Iraqi state media.
Two Kurds were among the ministers who were approved in October. Fuad Hussein from the KDP remained in his position as foreign minister and Khalid Shwani from the PUK became minister of justice.
The KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) had been at loggerheads over who should become the president of Iraq. Each initially fielded different candidates but on October 13, with the support of the KDP, the Kurdish independent candidate Abdul Latif Rashid was elected the president of the country. Rashid has been a long-time member of the PUK.
Sudani was tasked with forming a new government on October 13, after more than a year of political bickering since the parliamentary elections in October 2021. The parliament approved 21 members of the cabinet in late October.
However, due to disputes between both Kurdish ruling parties - the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) - voting on two ministers was postponed.
The legislature convened on Saturday, approving KDP’s Bangin Rekani as the minister of construction and housing and PUK’s Nizar Mohammed as the minister of environment, reported Iraqi state media.
Two Kurds were among the ministers who were approved in October. Fuad Hussein from the KDP remained in his position as foreign minister and Khalid Shwani from the PUK became minister of justice.
The KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) had been at loggerheads over who should become the president of Iraq. Each initially fielded different candidates but on October 13, with the support of the KDP, the Kurdish independent candidate Abdul Latif Rashid was elected the president of the country. Rashid has been a long-time member of the PUK.