On May 14 parliament voted on some of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s cabinet. This has led to deep divisions between the ruling parties over who got what.
14 of 23 ministers were approved by lawmakers. Those were Agriculture, Communications, Education, Electricity, Environment, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Health, Industry, Justice, Oil, Trade, Transportation, and Water. The nominees for Planning and Higher Education were rejected while Culture, Defense, Interior, Labor, Migration, Reconstruction and Youth were still under debate.
Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law wants Interior and its candidate for Higher Education was turned down while the Al-Hasim Alliance is supposed to get the Defense Ministry, the Azm Alliance wants Planning, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) demanded Reconstruction.
This did not include anyone from six groups the U.S. said would be a redline in American-Iraq relations. Those were Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat Ansar Allah Al-Awfiya, Kataib Sayid al-Shuhada and Kataib Imam Ali. Asaib Ahl Al-Haq for one supported Zaidi and said it was willing to disarm to meet Washington’s demands and still did not get any positions.
Few seemed happy with this turn of events. The day after the procedure on the cabinet it was reported that State of Law head Nouri al-Maliki, Badr leader Hadi Amiri, Falah Fayad the leader of the Hashd Commission and the Al Aqd al-Watani party, Humam al-Hammoudi of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), and Ahmed al-Asadi of Sanad were talking about forming a new bloc of around 100 parliamentarians to break up the ruling Coordination Framework and oppose PM Zaidi. They claimed their nominees were stolen or rejected by rivals. A State of Law MP for instance claimed their Interior and Higher Education appointees were blocked by former Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development.
Likewise the Azm Alliance of Muthanna al-Samarraie spoke of going to court over the vote on the cabinet claiming procedural issues were violated.
Even the Reconstruction and Development list which got two ministries complained that there was an unfair distribution of posts. The coalition won the most seats in the 2025 election with 46 and said that it should’ve gotten more.
Trying to appease these parties and find a common ground will be one of PM Zaidi’s first tasks. It will be a difficult issue for him to overcome as he has no political party behind him and is not a career politician. In fact, these differences may undermine his government right from the start as he may not have time to work on his agenda if the elite are so upset over his cabinet.
PM Zaidi’s Partial Cabinet
Agriculture Minister Abdul Rahim Jassim al-Shammari – Al-Aqd al-Watani – Parliamentarian.
Communications Minister Mustafa Jabbar Sanad – ISCI – Parliamentarian.
Education Minister Abdul Karim Abtan – Taqadum – Former parliamentarian.
Electricity Minister Ali Saad Wahib – Reconstruction and Development – Head of operations at Raban Ali Safina Group specializing in energy.
Environment Minister Sarwa Abdul Wahid – New Generation - Was a journalist and human rights activist. Parliamentarian and head of New Generation. Only woman in cabinet.
Finance Minister Falah Sari – Hikma – Parliamentarian, head of Hikma bloc and lead finance committee since 2010.
Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein – KDP – Has held post since 2020.
Health Minister Abdul Hussein Aziz – Al-Nahj al-Watani – Doctor and former parliamentarian. Head of Nahj al-Watani which is the Fadhila Party.
Industry Minister Mohammed Nouri Ahmed al-Karbouli – Taqadum – Parliamentarian and former Anbar governor.
Justice Minister Khalid Shawni – PUK –Kept position from PM Sudani government.
Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair – Reconstruction and Development - Was deputy Oil Minister under PM Sudani. Career engineer at ministry.
Trade Minister Mustafa Nizar Jumaa – Al-Siyada Alliance – Senior Trade Ministry official.
Transportation Miniser Wahab al-Hassan – Badr – Badr head Amiri’s chief of staff.
Water Minister Muthanna Ali Mahdi Al Tamimi – Badr – Parliamentarian.
SOURCES
Aldroubi, Mina, “Who are the ministers in Iraq’s new government?” The National, 5/14/26
Asharq Al-Awsat, “Iraq’s Coordination Framework on Verge of Collapse after Zaidi’s Govt Approved by Parliament,” 5/16/26
Iraq Horizons, “Full list of proposed ministers ahead of parliament vote,” 5/14/26
Kurdistan 24, "Iraqi Parliament Approves Government Program and 14-Minister Cabinet Before Postponing Remaining Votes,” 5/14/26
- “Iraqi Political Blocs Challenge Parliament Procedures Over Confidence Vote in al-Zaidi Cabinet,” 5/16/26
Al Mada, “Parliament Grants Confidence Today: Will Al-Zaidi Succeed Without Ministers from Factions?” 5/14/26
Shafaq News, “Exclusive: al-Maliki, al-Ameri lead push for new Shiite bloc after Iraq cabinet vote,” 5/15/26
- “Iraq cabinet posts distributed unfairly, Al-Sudani’s bloc says,” 5/17/26
Taqi, Ghassan, “Exclusive: Iraqi Parliament Approves Partial Government as U.S. Demands Action on Militias,” Al Hurra, 5/14/26
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