A US “veto” has stalled talks to fill vacant posts in Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government, political sources said, as Washington prioritizes a plan to bring armed factions’ weapons under state control despite Iranian objections.
Al-Zaidi told a meeting of the ruling Coordination Framework on Monday that he was close to completing his cabinet, which he announced in mid-May with 14 ministerial portfolios filled and nine posts vacant.
The vacancies include key ministries such as defense, interior, higher education and planning.
Iraq’s federal parliament has often approved incomplete governments in previous terms because of disputes among political parties and blocs over quotas and ministerial posts, with compromises reached later to fill the remaining portfolios.
But the formation of al-Zaidi’s government appears more complicated, and the remaining posts could stay vacant for months, according to a senior Framework official.
US ‘red lines’
The official told Asharq Al-Awsat that disputes over posts could delay completion of the government for a short period, but recent US intervention, particularly under al-Zaidi’s government, could hold it up for months.
The official said discussions within the Framework pointed to “a veto and red lines” imposed by the United States and US presidential envoy Tom Barrack on virtually all candidates nominated by the Framework.
“Some clearly believe Washington does not want the government completed at the moment,” the official said.
Several sources have previously said Washington categorically rejected representatives of armed factions taking ministerial posts and had raised the issue explicitly with al-Zaidi during his latest visit to Washington in July.
Framework uncertainty
Amid reports that Washington has rejected Laith al-Khazali for the post of deputy prime minister, the senior official said there was confusion within the Coordination Framework over the US position, saying Washington had placed red lines on most of its parties and factions.
“Take the State of Law coalition, for example. It has no factions or armed wings, but it too is under the weight of US anger and is not allowed to take ministerial posts,” the official said. “The same happened with its leader Nouri al-Maliki, whom the US president publicly rejected when he was nominated for prime minister.”
Maliki is the head of the State of Law coalition and Trump had vehemently opposed his nomination.
The official said the US priority appeared to be bringing weapons under state control and countering Tehran’s influence in Iraq, rather than completing the cabinet.
“Washington may prefer the defense and interior ministries to remain directly under Prime Minister al-Zaidi,” the official said.
Amid unconfirmed media reports that the head of Iran’s Quds Force is in Baghdad to counter moves to dissolve the armed factions, political sources said al-Zaidi’s announcement that the remaining cabinet posts would be filled was “a cover for the failure to reach an agreement with the Iranians over bringing weapons under state control, and for concerns about the fate of the government itself.”
After September
Kifah Mahmoud, political adviser to Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani, said negotiations to fill the remaining government posts could take place in September at the earliest.
September 30 is the deadline set by the Baghdad government to resolve the issue of disarming the factions, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
He added that Iraq’s federal constitution does not accept the presence of any armed faction outside the authority of the state and government.
Mahmoud agreed with the view that there was US resistance to completing the government, saying Washington had repeatedly opposed senior government posts going to figures close to armed factions.
“The two main parties in Kurdistan, the Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union, support al-Zaidi and his efforts to complete his cabinet,” he said.
“But the issue is tied to disputes among the leading forces within the Coordination Framework, as well as among Sunni parties.”
Still, Mahmoud said “serious US reservations over who holds government posts, and the red lines Washington has imposed, could obstruct al-Zaidi’s efforts to fill the remaining vacancies.”
