Iraqi parliament confirms three cabinet nominees

By Ibrahim Saleh

BAGHDAD (AA) - Iraqi parliament on Tuesday gave a vote of confidence to three cabinet nominees put forward by Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi.

A majority of Iraqi MPs approved Nouri al-Dileimi for the planning portfolio; Qusai Suhail for the higher education and scientific research portfolio; and Abdul-Amir al-Hamadani for the culture portfolio.

MPs, however, failed to agree on who should head up the ministries of interior, defense, justice, education and immigration amid ongoing differences between Iraq’s Al-Bina and Al-Islah parliamentary blocs.

Assembly Speaker Mohamed al-Halbusi called another parliamentary session for Thursday, but it remains unclear whether Thursday’s session will see MPs vote on the remaining nominees.

Tuesday’s vote brings the total number of ministers in Abdul-Mahdi's government to 17 after 14 others were confirmed by parliament in late October.