Iraqi Parl. approves Mustafa al-Kazemi's cabinet

More than 231 Parliament members attended the session.

"My Cabinet has warned Parliament’s support and we will work to earn the trust and support of the Iraqi people," Al-Kazemi tweeted.

"I am grateful to those who worked with us to form the government," he added, "I urge all political actors to come together around a national program to serve Iraq's interests."

During his address to Parliament, he pledged to hold transparent and early elections, to restrict access to weapons and to curb corruption.

This is a government that will provide a solution, not add to the crises, Al-Kazemi said.

He said his plan would end foreign interference and “not allow any country to violate Iraq’s national sovereignty”.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazemi has previously said that consultations are underway to form a government in a friendly environment and that the goal is to form a clean, governmental team that can deal with crises and meet the needs of the nation.

Iraqi lawmakers gave votes of confidence to al-Kazemi's picks for the ministries of interior, defense, finance, and electricity, among others. However, several ministerial candidates failed to get the lawmakers' approval, meaning Kadhimi will begin his term without a full government. The parliamentarians rejected the incoming premier's picks for justice, agriculture and trade ministries. They also postponed voting on the oil and foreign ministries as political parties failed to agree on candidates.

HJ/