Iraq finally has a new government

Iraq’s parliament voted on a new cabinet after their government needed to be replaced for a year due to contested elections. Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, 52, will serve as the Prime Minister of Iraq. Previously he served as both human rights minister and minister of labor and social affairs.

A statement released by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s office after the vote said, “The government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has obtained the confidence of the National Assembly.”

A majority of the 253 lawmakers present voted to appoint 21 ministers, with two posts — construction and housing and the environment — remaining undecided. With those two unresolved appointments, the approved cabinet lineup constitutes a quorum.

After weeks of infighting between key factions, Al-Sudani has been chosen to form a new government. This move came in response to the ongoing need for political stability in Sudan.

Muqtada al-Sadr, who is a well-known cleric in Iraq, refused to join the government. The movement he leads refuses to work with their opponents in these tense times. We’ll be sure to take care of business. When the stakes are high, we should put our best team on the field. If the world is looking for people to follow, we must lead the way.

The report said: “Those changes will not only add new challenges to our country, which is already suffering from accumulated crises that have had negative economic, social and humanitarian impacts on our citizens.” Al-Sudani, nominated on October 13, had the backing of the Coalition for the Administration of the State, which includes the Coordination Framework, an alliance of powerful pro-Iran Shia factions that holds 138 out of 329 seats in parliament.

The recent meeting of Iraq’s parliament includes Sunni MPs led by Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, as well as two key Kurdish parties. Under the power-sharing system in Iraq, cabinet posts are shared between the different ethnic communities of Iraq.

Iraq held elections for its parliament after protesters demanded the country’s political system be overhauled. Part of the reason for their demands was not just the lack of adequate services like potable water and electricity, but also environmental fears that lax environmental policy could unleash disasters. Following the contentious election, which gave a plurality to al-Sadr’s alliance and led to political infighting delaying the forming of an inclusive government for more than a year.