Al-Zaydi opens the Kurdistan file and faces his first test with Al-Halbousi.
A political source familiar with the movements of Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi revealed on Friday that he is expected to make a visit to the Kurdistan Region in the next few days to meet with Kurdish leaders and discuss their entitlements in the new government, before moving on to the Sunni forces file and meeting with the leader of the Progress Party, Muhammad al-Halbousi.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that “Al-Zaidi’s visit will take place in the next few days, and he will also discuss the outstanding issues between Baghdad and Erbil, in line with the new government’s program.”
The anticipated visit comes after Kurdish leaders announced their support for assigning al-Zaidi to form the new federal government.
The source added that “Al-Zaydi will then meet with Sunni leaders, including the leader of the Progress Party, Muhammad al-Halbousi, for the same purpose, as the latter raised the ceiling of his party’s demands in the government cabinet, which sparked controversy behind the scenes of the political forces, especially with the Sunni ministries file entering the stage of direct negotiation.”
According to the source, “The resolution of the quota issue will be done according to the approved entitlements for each component, and according to political custom and parliamentary weight, provided that the active political parties have a role in the success of Al-Zidi’s government and its passage within the House of Representatives.”
He pointed out that “the coordination framework formed a special committee to monitor the distribution of ministerial portfolios and the names of the candidates for them, in coordination with the Prime Minister-designate, to prevent the dispute over ministries from turning into a complication that would hinder the formation of the government.”
These moves coincide with discussions within the political forces regarding a preliminary map for the distribution of ministerial portfolios. Information circulating behind the scenes of the negotiations indicates that the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, led by outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, is heading towards obtaining five ministries, including a sovereign ministry, while the State of Law Coalition will obtain the Ministry of Oil and another service ministry, in exchange for the Sadiqun Movement, led by Qais al-Khazali, increasing its share to two ministries and the position of Deputy Prime Minister.
As for the Sunni share, negotiations are underway regarding the Higher Education Ministry being given to the Progress Party led by Halbousi, while the Ministry of Defense is being proposed as part of the share of the Azm Alliance led by Muthanna al-Samarrai. This formula is still subject to discussion within the Sunni community and with the Shiite forces sponsoring the government formation process.
In contrast, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice are likely to go to the Kurdistan Democratic Party, while the Ministries of Environment and Culture are being discussed within the share of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, within the framework of a broader understanding that links Kurdish participation in the new government to clear commitments regarding outstanding issues with Baghdad.
Al-Zaidi’s move comes hours after he received a phone call from US President Donald Trump, who congratulated him on being officially tasked with forming the government and invited him to visit Washington after the cabinet is completed. The two sides also discussed the strategic relations between Iraq and the United States and ways to enhance cooperation and stability in the region.
The coordinating framework had previously agreed to give al-Zidi more leeway in choosing his cabinet, after he was nominated for the premiership following the withdrawal of outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki from the race for the position, in a move that opened the door to a settlement within the Shiite bloc to end the political deadlock and accelerate the formation of the next government.
Shafaq.com