Iraqi parliament ratifies new Cabinet in long-awaited vote

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s parliament gave its vote of confidence to a new Cabinet on Thursday, breaking a yearlong political stalemate. It’s the first government since 2005 that doesn’t include members from the bloc of a powerful Shiite cleric.

A majority of the 253 lawmakers present voted to appoint 21 ministers, with two posts — the Construction and Housing Ministry and the Environment Ministry — remaining undecided. Despite those two unresolved appointments, the approved Cabinet lineup constitutes a quorum.

The Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is the first since 2005 that does not include seats for the bloc of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Iraq held early elections more than a year ago in response to mass anti-government protests that began in October 2019 in Baghdad and across southern Iraq. Protesters called for the overhaul of the political system established after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

Following the election, which gave a plurality to the alliance led by al-Sadr, political infighting delayed the forming of a government for more than a year. This was driven largely by a political rivalry between al-Sadr and Iran-backed former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Al-Sadr’s bloc withdrew from the parliament amid the stalemate. In July, following the nomination of Mohammed al-Sudani for prime minister by Iranbacked parties, followers of al-Sadr stormed the heavily fortified Green Zone and the Iraqi parliament.

The following month, street fights between followers of al-Sadr and members of the rival Popular Mobilization Forces left at least 30 people dead and dozens more injured. Following the clashes, al-Sadr withdrew his followers from the parliament.