Friday, April 8, 2016

Candidates For Iraq Cabinet Reshuffle Withdrawing


Iraq’s Premier Haidar Abadi recently presented his cabinet of technocrats to parliament for their approval. There were twelve candidates, but two have already withdrawn. The first was Nizar Salim, an academic from Kurdistan who was up for the Oil Ministry. He pulled his name on April 1 saying that there was no agreement upon the new ministers by the political parties. After that Ali Allawi, who is an author, academic, and former Trade, Defense, and Finance Minister also said he no longer wanted to have his name be considered for the Finance and Planning Ministry. Allawi complained that not only was there no consensus on the premier’s reforms, but that parties were actively trying to undermine them. Almost all of Iraq’s ruling parties have complained about the process Abadi followed to put his cabinet together. On the procedural level the prime minister never presented a plan for his reforms, and has continuously alienated the other parties by not consulting with them. In the bigger picture, none of the elite want to give up their control of the government, which they largely exercise through the ministries they run. Now two of Abadi’s candidates have dropped out showing that his new cabinet is imploding from within, putting even more pressure on the prime minister. His already limited power could be curtailed even more if his cabinet doesn’t get approved.

SOURCES

Al Masalah, “Ali Allawi withdraws his candidacy from the post of Minister of Finance and Planning,” 4/6/16

Rudaw, “Kurdish ministerial nominee withdraws from new Iraqi cabinet,” 4/1/16

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