A new government in Iraq is being ushered in after months of deadlock. Iraq’s parliament approved a majority of ministers presented by Prime Minister-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Wednesday, lawmakers said.
Kadhimi’s picks for interior, defense, finance, electricity and other key portfolios passed during a parliament vote on the cabinet, the lawmakers said. Several ministerial candidates were rejected, however, meaning Kadhimi will begin his term without a full government.
Former Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned last year as anti-government protesters stormed the streets by the thousands, demanding jobs and the departure of Iraq’s ruling elite. They accuse the political class that took over after the 2003 U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein of corruption that has driven the country into dysfunction and economic ruin.
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