Tishwash: Al-Zaydi presents the ministerial program to the Speaker of Parliament
Prime Minister-designate Ali Faleh al-Zaidi presented the new government’s ministerial program to Speaker of Parliament Hebat Hamad al-Halbousi on Thursday (May 7, 2026), while both sides stressed the importance of cooperation to complete the process of granting confidence to the government.
The media office of the Prime Minister stated in a statement received by “Baghdad Today” that “Prime Minister-designate Ali Falih al-Zaidi presented the ministerial program of the new government to the Speaker of Parliament, Hebat Hamad al-Halbousi, during a meeting that brought them together today, Thursday.”
The statement added that “the ministerial program will be circulated to members of the House of Representatives for them to study and review its details, and the names of the government formation will be submitted at a later time.”
According to the statement, both sides emphasized “the importance of joint cooperation and coordination to proceed with completing the entitlement to grant confidence to the government and its ministerial program as the basic pillar upon which the government builds its work and duties, based on constitutional and legal contexts.” link
Tishwash: The government’s features are taking shape, and the program is now in the hands of Parliament.
As the political scene approaches a crucial moment, dialogues between political blocs are accelerating to finalize the formation of the new government, amid growing expectations that the cabinet will be announced and voted on next Monday, according to political data circulating within parliament.
These developments come amid advanced political understandings between the main parties, which have given the prime minister-designate ample room to choose his ministerial team, in parallel with the continuation of talks on the distribution of portfolios and the establishment of political entitlements for the various components, which makes the birth of the government dependent on precise agreements that have not yet been definitively settled.
In a related context, parliamentary data indicates that the government program has reached, or is about to reach, the House of Representatives, in preparation for its discussion and approval within the constitutional process related to passing the cabinet.
As the decision nears, the political debate is shifting towards the nature of the government program rather than the names, as a number of MPs are demanding a move away from quotas and the adoption of standards of competence, integrity and transparency in the selection of ministers, while enhancing transparency by publishing their biographies to the public.
In this context, MPs confirm that the features of the government have begun to gradually take shape, despite the continued disagreements over some portfolios and the mechanisms for distribution among the blocs.
Political.
Parliamentary initiatives have also emerged concerning the regulation of the relationship between the executive position and electoral entitlement, through a proposal that obliges ministers not to run in the upcoming elections, and prevents their first-degree relatives from running, in addition to including holders of special grades and undersecretaries of ministries, with the aim of limiting the exploitation of government influence in election campaigns, with the intention of including this in the election law later.
In parallel, interest in the security file is escalating as one of the top priorities of the next government, with calls for a comprehensive reform of the security and military system and an update of the combat doctrine in line with regional and international changes. link
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Tishwash: Saturday is the deadline for finalizing the cabinet… The Wisdom Movement reveals details of the new government structure
Fahd al-Jubouri, a leader in the Wisdom Movement, revealed what he described as the “zero hour” for resolving the issue of the ministerial cabinet, stressing that next Saturday will be the decisive date for the final vote on the new government formation within the House of Representatives.
Al-Jubouri told Zaqoura News Agency in a special statement that the political understandings between the forces participating in forming the government have reached advanced and positive stages, despite the continuation of some differences that previously brought the dialogues back to “square one”.
He explained that “the general atmosphere of the talks is positive, and there are strong indications that the government will be announced and the cabinet finalized next Saturday,” noting that the political dialogues have witnessed remarkable progress in recent days after intensive rounds of meetings between the various parties.
Regarding the news circulating about American interference in the selection of ministerial figures, Al-Jubouri described that information as “exaggerated and inaccurate,” stressing that “the American position was limited to conveying a message before the selection of the designated prime minister, which included not dealing with a government that includes factions, without directly interfering in the naming of ministers or imposing specific figures.”
Al-Jubouri indicated that the new government structure will include the creation of three positions for deputy prime ministers instead of four, after the prime minister objected to one of the candidates for the fourth position, explaining that the distribution of positions will take place according to specialized files that include economic and service affairs and the energy sector.
He explained that the move towards creating the position of Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs came to address the confusion that the Ministerial Council for the Economy witnessed during the past period, as a result of the Foreign Minister being preoccupied with his international duties, which was reflected in the regularity of the periodic economic meetings.
Al-Jubouri concluded by emphasizing that the selection of the Vice Presidents and Deputy Prime Ministers will be based on a political and administrative vision aimed at ensuring that the state treasury is not burdened with additional financial obligations, noting that this approach has been agreed upon during recent official meetings. link
Tishwash: Al-Khafaji reveals behind-the-scenes details of the Al-Zidi government with Al-Hajj: MPs will be prevented from performing Hajj until the vote, and salaries will be in jeopardy!
MP Hassan Al-Khafaji revealed the behind-the-scenes details of the ongoing negotiations to form Ali Al-Zidi’s government, stressing that the heads of the political blocs informed the MPs of the need not to go to perform the Hajj rituals before the end of the session to vote on the anticipated government.
Al-Khafaji said during his interview with journalist Hossam Al-Hajj that “the last plane carrying pilgrims will take off from Baghdad Airport carrying 183 MPs after the end of the voting session,” indicating that the session to grant confidence to Al-Zidi’s government will be held on Sunday or Monday next week.
He added that the current Minister of Labor, Ahmed Al-Asadi, will retain his ministerial portfolio, while the Reconstruction and Development Coalition seeks to obtain the Ministry of Electricity “to contribute to ending the suffering of citizens with the energy crisis.”
Al-Khafaji indicated that the Ministry of Oil file was “resolved” in favor of the Sudanese coalition, along with four other ministries, noting that there were objections within the negotiations regarding the inclusion of bodies within the negotiating points, saying that “some are upset and do not want the bodies to be included within the points.”
He explained that the selection of Al-Zidi “pleased” many political forces because he is an “economic man,” revealing that the Prime Minister-designate asked the coordination framework to choose the Ministers of Finance and Interior.
Regarding the position of Deputy Prime Minister, Al-Khafaji confirmed that the position “cost Asa’ib 15 points,” indicating that there is an opinion within the coordination framework that rejects keeping the positions of Deputy Prime Ministers because of the financial and administrative burdens they represent.
He explained that the Sudanese coalition was heading towards the opposition option, but the appointment of Al-Zaidi changed the course towards “absolute support” for the new government, adding that the merchants expressed their satisfaction with the appointment of Al-Zaidi because he “will spare Iraq from wars and keep it away from problems.”
Al-Khafaji also touched on the issue of foreign relations, stressing that “the Americans have a problem with the Popular Mobilization Forces,” and predicting that the leaders of the factions would refrain from direct participation in the next government.
In the economic file, Al-Khafaji called for closing the “dollar cycle” and reducing dependence on a single export outlet, describing this as a “disaster,” noting that Iraq imports agricultural crops from Turkey worth up to $25 million.
Al-Khafaji concluded his remarks with an economic warning, saying: “I don’t want to cause the people anxiety, but if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, we will face difficulty in paying salaries.” ink
