Iraq’s Sadr puts ‘finishing touches’ on cabinet lineup

By Ali Jawad

BAGHDAD (AA) - Shia political leader Muqtada al-Sadr, whose Sairoon bloc came in first in Iraq’s May 12 parliamentary polls, says he has put the “finishing touches” on a proposed cabinet lineup.

The announcement follows two weeks of intense consultations with the leaders of other political groupings that won significant numbers of parliamentary seats in the recent election.

Notably, however, al-Sadr -- a firebrand Shia cleric whose followers once fought U.S. occupation forces -- has not held any meetings with Nouri al-Maliki, a former prime minister and the leader of the powerful State of Law coalition.

In a statement, al-Sadr said the incoming “technocrat” government would “not be Sunni, Shia, Arab, Kurd, nationalist or sectarian, but a real Iraqi government with genuine opposition [in parliament]”.

He added that he was also in consultations with influential Najaf-based Shia cleric Ali al-Sistani and influential Iraqi tribes.

“Transparency will be key to drawing up the new government if it is to succeed in fighting corruption,” he said.

In the May 12 polls, al-Sadr’s Sairoon bloc won 54 seats in parliament, followed by a Hashd al-Shaabi-linked coalition (47 seats) and Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s Victory bloc (42 seats).

At the assembly’s first scheduled session, lawmakers will elect a parliament speaker and two deputies by majority vote.

Within 30 days of the first session, parliament will then elect a new Iraqi president by a two-thirds majority vote.

According to the constitution, the new president will then ask the leader of the largest bloc in parliament to draw up a government to be presented to the assembly for approval within 30 days.