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Al Arabiya (17 October 2018)

A source close to Iraq’s Prime Minister-Designate Adel Abdul Mehdi told Al Arabiya English that parliamentary blocs are exerting great political pressure on Abdul Mehdi in order for their candidates to be included in the cabinet formation.

The source said this pressure may push Abdul Mehdi to step down from forming the cabinet.

According to the source, the pressure has reached the extent of threatening not to grant confidence to Abdul Mehdi’s cabinet.

Forming the cabinet requires the votes of 166 parliament members.

The source also said that most parliamentary blocs view ministries as spoils to maintain during the next four years, and they’re thus competing, selling and buying posts and ministries for hefty prices.

Abdul Mehdi had repeatedly called for forming a cabinet of independent competent figures and ruled out accepting independent figures who are nominated by parties noting that such figures do not remain independent.

Meanwhile, Iraq’s parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi said on Monday at the end of the parliament session, during which they voted on its 27 permanent committees, that he expects the next session to discuss the new cabinet formation.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2018/10/16/Iraqi-parliamentary-blocs-exerting-pressure-on-PM-designate-over-cabinet-formation.html