2026-05-06T11:05:35+00:00

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Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi lawmakers have submitted a proposal requiring
incoming ministers in Prime Minister-designate Ali Al-Zaidi’s government to
sign written pledges barring themselves and close relatives from contesting
future elections as part of the government program he is expected to present,
MP Ali Al-Sarai revealed on Wednesday.

Al-Sarai, a lawmaker from the Reconstruction and
Development bloc led by caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, told
Shafaq News that the measure would prohibit ministers from running in future
parliamentary or provincial elections, while first- and second-degree relatives
would also be excluded from candidacy. The proposal, he clarified, is intended
to prevent ministries from being used for electoral promotion and curb the use
of state resources and official influence during campaigns.

The restrictions would also apply to officials holding
ministerial and deputy minister ranks, with plans to later incorporate the
measure into Iraq’s Election Law through legislative amendments.

Parliament is expected to hold a confidence vote next
week, with Al-Zaidi set to present his cabinet and government program by the
end of this week.

The Shiite Coordination Framework, the largest parliamentary
bloc with about 162 of 329 seats, granted Al-Zaidi broader authority to form
his cabinet following his nomination on April 27, although negotiations
continue under a points-based system that allocates ministries according to
parliamentary representation. Service ministries are typically assigned to
blocs holding at least 10 seats, while sovereign portfolios are generally
reserved for factions with more than 15.

Political sources previously told our agency that the
incoming government may be presented without a complete cabinet lineup as talks
continue over deputy prime minister positions and key ministries.

Cabinet formation in Iraq is traditionally governed by
the muhasasa system, a post-2003 power-sharing arrangement that distributes
positions among the country’s main political and ethnic blocs.

Read more: Al-Zaidi named prime minister: Easy nomination, harder road ahead