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candidates, but two have already withdrawn.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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