Iraq's Coordination Framework announces candidates for interior, defense ministries

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Mahmoud al-Miyahi, a member of the Coordination Framework, announced on Tuesday the names put forward for Iraq's interior and defense ministries. He said the Interior Ministry portfolio had been decided for Kasim Ata, but the candidate was not approved in parliament due to objections and procedural violations during the session. Al-Miyahi noted that no other candidate besides Kasim Ata was put forward for the Interior Ministry. He identified Arif al-Dulaymi as the candidate for the Defense Ministry. The lawmaker attributed the delay in filling the ministerial posts to the government's focus on combating corruption. He called for completing the cabinet lineup and ensuring that each bloc receives a share in line with its electoral quota. No further details on the parliamentary vote or the candidates' confirmation were immediately available.