Iraqi Prime Minister hints at cabinet reshuffle six months after taking office

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani hinted on Tuesday that there might be a cabinet reshuffle in his administration.

Mr Al Sudani took over in late October, ending more than a year of political deadlock during which the country teetered on the verge of collapse, with no budget to allocate funds for vital infrastructure.

On taking office, he announced that his government would evaluate the work of ministers after six months. Senior posts such as governors, deputy ministers, general directors and advisers are included.

“We are going through the evaluation process for general directors and the results may come this week or the one after Eid [Al Fitr],” Mr Al Sudani said.

“After that we will start evaluating the ministers and there will be a cabinet reshuffle,” he added, without divulging further details.

He said the process would not be politically motivated, but “will be a real one based on clear professional standards”.

The Prime Minister was the nominee of the Iran-aligned Co-ordination Framework, the largest political group in the Iraqi parliament with 138 out of 329 seats. The group comprises powerful Iran-backed Shiite militias and political parties.

Since the 2003 US-led invasion, government formation has been based on an informal power-sharing arrangement known as Muhasasa in Arabic, a system widely described as one in which power is apportioned based on sect.

Under the agreement, Shiites are entitled to 12 ministries, Sunnis six, Kurds four, and the rest distributed among other religious and ethnic groups.

Updated: April 19, 2023, 8:17 AM