More nominees withdraw from Abadi’s proposed cabinet

More nominees resigned from Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi’s proposed government ahead of a deadline to vote on the new administration by next week.

Less than a week after Kurdish candidate for the oil ministry, Nizar Saleem Numani, withdrew his candidacy, Hoshiyar Amin the candidate for the Ministry of Municipality and Reconstruction, who is also a Kurd, withdrew his candidacy followed by Ali Allawi, the candidate of the Ministry of Finance and Planning.

Allawi’s office said in a statement yesterday that he had decided to withdraw his candidacy due to political interference and factional bickering.

A majority of the National Alliance bloc has rejected Al-Abadi’s mechanism to propose a new government, with the exception of Muqtada Al-Sadr.

It is expected that Al-Abadi will not be able to obtain a majority of votes from the parliament to form his new government forcing him to make many concessions.