Iraq Shiite coalition grants PM Zaidi authority to pick cabinet nominees

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Shiite Coordination Framework has handed Prime Minister Ali Zaidi the authority to nominate candidates for several disputed ministries, including Defense, Interior, Higher Education and Planning, according to officials familiar with the meeting. Sources said Zaidi and his team will review the resumes of candidates whose profiles are not tied to political factions or militias. The framework held the meeting under Zaidi's chairmanship to address the long-pending completion of his cabinet lineup. The coalition also decided to establish a Ministry of Tourism to ensure executive representation for a political bloc with strong parliamentary weight. Separately, it approved the formation of a high-level committee of ministers and experts to study economic partnership offers covering electricity and energy that U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad Tom Barrack presented during his recent visit. The committee will review investment packages, including a U.S. offer to supply radar and advanced security equipment, and prepare a guarantee text. The framework also reaffirmed support for the government's timeline to consolidate weapons under state authority.