The Hindu : International : Iraqi MPs approve 37-member Cabinet

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Friday, Apr 29, 2005

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International

Iraqi MPs approve 37-member Cabinet

Atul Aneja

Shias take majority of berths, Sunnis given six posts

MANAMA: Iraqi parliamentarians have approved a partial Cabinet line-up proposed by the Prime Minister-designate, Ibrahim Jaafari.

A decision on the crucial Oil and Defence portfolios, however, has been kept on hold.

Lawmakers were quoted as saying that the Defence Ministry would go to a Sunni representative while a Shia would head the Oil Ministry. The Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi would head the Oil Ministry till a final decision is taken, while Mr. Jaafari would retain the Defence portfolio pending an appointment.

Posts kept vacant

Seven posts including Oil and Defence have been kept vacant. Mr. Jaafari stressed that they would be filled soon.

All posts must be filled by May 7 — the deadline for forming the Government under Iraq's transitional law.

An overwhelming majority of 180 lawmakers out of the 185, who were present, voted in favour of the 37-member Cabinet.

Apart from Mr. Jaafari, the Cabinet consists of four Deputy Prime Ministers representing each one of the main ethnic and religious communities, and 32 Ministers. They will run the country till elections planned for December are held.

There has been an effort to represent Iraq's several ethnic and religious groups in the new line-up. Of the 32 Ministers functioning under Mr. Jaafari and his four Deputies, 17 would be Shia, eight Kurdish, six Sunni and one Christian.

Mr. Jaafari said the Government would "reflect the ethnic and religious diversity of Iraqi society".

The Sunnis — Iraq's second largest community — did not participate in the January 30 elections in any significant numbers. But the allocation of six Ministries to them, including the Defence portfolio, is meant to assuage fears within the community about a possible witch-hunt by a Government dominated by Shias and Kurds.

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