ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework is “serious” about advancing government formation, a senior member of the bloc told Rudaw on Thursday, anticipating that the country’s newly-appointed Prime Minister-Designate Ali al-Zaidi would hold consultations with Kurdish and Sunni Arab parties in the coming days to discuss the distribution of ministerial portfolios.
Ali al-Daffayi, spokesperson for the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) - led by Humam Hamoudi, a senior figure within the Coordination Framework - said that Zaidi “has already held several rounds of talks with leaders” of the Shiite alliance and “is expected to continue consultations with all national actors.”
He added that Zaidi “enjoys significant support both within the Coordination Framework and at the national level,” pointing to “the welcome his designation has received from Kurdish leaders, as well as Arab, regional, and international figures.”
The Coordination Framework - the largest bloc in parliament, holding 174 seats in the 329-member legislature - on Monday named Zaidi as its candidate for prime minister, a post traditionally held by a Shiite.
Iraq President Nizar Amedi on the same day tasked Zaidi with forming a new government and presenting his ministerial program to parliament within 30 days of his designation, as stipulated in the Iraqi constitution.
According to Daffayi, the prime minister-designate will in the coming days meet with leaders of Kurdish and Sunni Arab political blocs “to agree on the distribution of ministerial portfolios,” guided by the popular representation each bloc had in the country’s latest legislative elections held in November as the “primary standard.”
The ISCI spokesperson anticipated that Kurdish and Sunni Arab blocs would receive five ministries each, while Shiite parties would hold between 12 and 13 ministries.
He further expected that Kurdish parties “are likely to head the foreign affairs, justice, and possibly water resources ministries,” noting that the final allocation will be determined through “mutual agreement during consultations.”
Upon his designation, Zaidi affirmed his “commitment to working with all political parties to form a government that meets citizens’ demands, strengthens security and stability, and achieves comprehensive development.” If he succeeds in forming a cabinet within the constitutional deadline, he will become Iraq’s eighth prime minister since 2003.