Iraq’s parliament speaker denies influence in selection of new defense minister
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri denied he has any influence over selecting candidates for the new defense minister.
“The Parliament Speaker has only submitted the candidates’ curricula vitae to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, and the names submitted were according to MPs’ signatures from a coalition of Iraqi parliament blocs,” reads a statement issued from the office of the parliament speaker regarding candidates for the position of defense minister.
Former defense minister, Khalid al-Obeidi, was removed from his post after losing a vote of confidence shortly after accusing Jabouri of corruption.
The parliament speaker wants a qualified candidate to fill the important post, the statement continues, but selection comes under the government’s authority. The parliament’s job is only ratification of the candidate.
“Al-Jabouri insists on creating a fair opportunity for every candidate. The defense minister should be a qualified person in order to revive the country’s military council,” the statement explained.
“Selection of the best candidate is the council of ministers’ authority. Then they will submit it to parliament to be ratified. The parliament speaker’s duty was only to submit candidate names to the council of ministers. In the future, selection of any candidate will be according to this mechanism.”
Abdulrahim Shamari, a member of parliament from the national alliance bloc, told Rudaw, “To fill the defense minister’s position after Khalid al-Obeidi, the Iraqi coalition parties submitted three candidates to the PM Abadi and parliament speaker in an official letter on August 29. We have submitted the candidates to Abadi, who chief of the armed forces.”
The candidates are “Badr Mahmoud Hafl al-Jabouri from Salahaddin province and of the Jamahira bloc, Kamil Karim Abbas Duleimi, former MP from Anbar province and of the Hal bloc, and Ahmed Abdulla Abdulla al-Jabouri from Nineveh, of the Iraqi alliance bloc,” Shamari added.
In the confidence vote that ousted Obeidi on August 25, 142 MPs voted to withdraw confidence and 102 voted against it; 18 MPs abstained from the vote.
“The Parliament Speaker has only submitted the candidates’ curricula vitae to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, and the names submitted were according to MPs’ signatures from a coalition of Iraqi parliament blocs,” reads a statement issued from the office of the parliament speaker regarding candidates for the position of defense minister.
Former defense minister, Khalid al-Obeidi, was removed from his post after losing a vote of confidence shortly after accusing Jabouri of corruption.
The parliament speaker wants a qualified candidate to fill the important post, the statement continues, but selection comes under the government’s authority. The parliament’s job is only ratification of the candidate.
“Al-Jabouri insists on creating a fair opportunity for every candidate. The defense minister should be a qualified person in order to revive the country’s military council,” the statement explained.
“Selection of the best candidate is the council of ministers’ authority. Then they will submit it to parliament to be ratified. The parliament speaker’s duty was only to submit candidate names to the council of ministers. In the future, selection of any candidate will be according to this mechanism.”
Abdulrahim Shamari, a member of parliament from the national alliance bloc, told Rudaw, “To fill the defense minister’s position after Khalid al-Obeidi, the Iraqi coalition parties submitted three candidates to the PM Abadi and parliament speaker in an official letter on August 29. We have submitted the candidates to Abadi, who chief of the armed forces.”
The candidates are “Badr Mahmoud Hafl al-Jabouri from Salahaddin province and of the Jamahira bloc, Kamil Karim Abbas Duleimi, former MP from Anbar province and of the Hal bloc, and Ahmed Abdulla Abdulla al-Jabouri from Nineveh, of the Iraqi alliance bloc,” Shamari added.
In the confidence vote that ousted Obeidi on August 25, 142 MPs voted to withdraw confidence and 102 voted against it; 18 MPs abstained from the vote.