Iraqi premier completes Cabinet after parliament approves 11 ministers

Parliamentary vote fills vacant posts

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced on Thursday that his Cabinet lineup was finally complete, five months after his government took office, as parliament approved 11 additional ministers and three deputy prime ministers. The announcement came after a parliamentary session attended by 261 lawmakers voted on nominees for vacant and newly created ministries, according to the official Iraqi News Agency.

"In five months since the government was formed, the Cabinet lineup has been completed and the vacant portfolios have been filled," Zaidi said in a statement. He said the government would now move quickly to implement its priorities and program, noting that completing the Cabinet would strengthen the government’s ability to manage national issues and coordinate efforts.

New ministries created in expansion

The number of ministers who received parliamentary confidence rose from 14 when the government was formed in May to 25 after Thursday's vote. The expanded lineup includes newly created portfolios such as the Ministry of Digital Economy and Governance, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — which was separated from the Culture Ministry — and the Ministry of State for Minority Affairs.

Despite Zaidi’s announcement that the Cabinet was complete, there was no word on the fate of the Ministry of Migration and Displacement. No nominee for the portfolio appeared among the ministers approved by parliament, and the prime minister’s statement did not address its status.

Regional challenges and ministerial duties

Zaidi said the regional war continued to impose exceptional economic challenges on Iraq, alongside security challenges requiring the highest levels of responsibility and vigilance. He urged his deputies and newly approved ministers to perform their duties with "the highest levels of commitment, competence and integrity" and work as one team.

On May 14, parliament approved Zaidi’s government and granted confidence to 14 ministers out of 23 portfolios, leaving nine ministries vacant. Consultations continued in the following months to complete the Cabinet, culminating in Thursday's vote.