Iraq PM says government formation out of his hands

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday that an ongoing political dispute over unfilled ministries in his government was out of his hands. “It’s not my decision,” he told reporters gathered at a weekly news conference, in response to an AFP question.

More than two months after being appointed premier, Abdul Mahdi has yet to fill eight of his cabinet’s 22 posts, including the key ministers of interior and defence. He has named candidates for the eight ministries, but parliament has repeatedly delayed a vote on them due to divisions among various factions.

Abdul Mahdi has said that he named a share of the cabinet, but that the rest of the posts would be doled out according to arrangements among rival blocs. “We were free to choose eight or nine ministers, and the rest are the results of political agreements,” he said. Parliament is expected to meet next week, but it is unclear if they will vote on the empty posts.