Iraqi Prime Minister Reshuffles Cabinet to Combat Corruption

Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, reshuffled his cabinet on Thursday, April 1, with the aim of "combating corruption" in the country, changing the ministers of foreign affairs, oil, and finance. According to Reuters and the Iraqi state television, in the recent changes, Nizar Salim al-Naaman has been appointed as the Minister of Oil. Additionally, Ali Allawi, an influential Shiite politician, has taken over the Ministry of Finance, and Sharif Ali bin al-Hussein, a close associate of the former King of Iraq who was overthrown in a coup in 1958, has been selected as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The news agency adds that Mr. Abadi has reshuffled the cabinet in line with forming a technocratic government to counter the resistance of politicians who are concerned about losing their interests. The parliament must vote on the changes made by Haider al-Abadi for the new cabinet to take formal shape, but the Iraqi parliament has postponed its session until Saturday, giving representatives time to review and possibly challenge the nominated ministers. The Prime Minister of Iraq has merged several ministries and introduced a list of 16 ministers, retaining the ministers of defense and interior in their positions. Reuters reports that Iraqi political parties are concerned that the cabinet reshuffle may weaken the networks under their control that have sustained their wealth and influence over the past decade. However, Mr. Abadi must either fulfill commitments to combat corruption or accept the risk of weakening his government while trying to retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group. Muqtada al-Sadr, an influential Shiite cleric, also increased pressure on Abadi's government by staging a sit-in in front of the Iraqi parliament on Sunday. He has called for the appointment of ministers who are not affiliated with political parties. Reports indicate that following the cabinet reshuffle in Iraq, Muqtada al-Sadr also ended his sit-in. In this context, the Iraqi army has "begun" operations to retake Mosul from ISIS, and the number of American forces present in Iraq "will soon increase."