Maliki Urges Iraq Parliament to Fill Remaining Cabinet Vacancies

Nuri Maliki said the government headed by Prime Minister Ali Zeydi must complete its remaining cabinet lineup as soon as possible, urging Iraq’s Parliament to finish voting on the vacant ministries and grant confidence to the nominees. He said the issue is needed now to correct the political course and strengthen stability. Maliki made the remarks during a joint press conference in Baghdad with Mesrur Barzani, where he said they discussed the main themes of the political process and ways to reinforce stability. He did not provide further details on their talks. Iraq’s Parliament gave confidence to the Zeydi government and its program in the middle of the month, approving 14 ministers. The remaining 9 ministries were postponed until after the Eid holiday because of political disagreements.