Shafaq News..Cabinet posts, faction weapons top CF talks

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Coordination Framework (CF), an alliance of major
Shiite political forces, will meet on Monday to push ahead with talks on
filling the remaining cabinet posts and decide how to handle weapons held by
armed factions, a source within the bloc told Shafaq News on Sunday.

Most of the Framework’s leaders are expected to attend the
weekly meeting, with political groups seeking ministerial posts based on their
share of seats in parliament. Under the latest formula, one category-A service
ministry would count as an entitlement equivalent to 20 parliamentary seats,
while another would be worth 12 seats. The political groups involved will
coordinate with other blocs if they reach an agreement before putting the
candidates to parliament for a vote, the source said.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi indicated at a Framework meeting
on Aug. 31 that negotiations over the remaining cabinet positions were nearing
a conclusion, with the candidates then to be sent to parliament for approval.
Earlier today, another source told Shafaq News that al-Zaidi intends to select
candidates for the nine vacant cabinet posts himself if nominees agreed by
political blocs fail to secure parliament’s confidence.

Weapons held by armed factions are expected to be another
key issue at Monday’s meeting. The source described an initial understanding
among Shiite political forces to put negotiations over the Popular Mobilization
Forces (PMF) and the management of factional weapons on hold until parliament passes
amendments to the PMF bill.

Last week, an informed source told Shafaq News that two
PMF-related bills were nearing referral after provisions that drew US
objections were removed. The drafts cover the PMF Restructuring bill and the
PMF Service and Retirement bill.

“The legislation has broad backing among the Shiite forces
within the Framework,” he said, adding that leaders will examine which
provisions need to be changed and agree on a draft that can move through
parliament.

Read more: Iraq’s PMF Service and Retirement Law: Is political exploitation inevitable?