While hailing the Iraqi Council of Representatives' confirmation of Adel Abdel Mahdi as the new prime minister of Iraq and the appointment of 14 ministers to the new Iraqi government, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service called, on Thursday 25 October, for the vacant posts to be filled as soon as possible (see EUROPE 12109).
"The progress achieved by the prime minister and the Council of Representatives within the 30-day constitutional deadline is encouraging and we expect the Iraqi political players to work together in a spirit of compromise, focusing on the national interest, to fill the remaining posts in the shortest time possible", the spokesperson said in a press release.
The spokesperson added that women candidates need to be considered for these posts, in order to strengthen the societal inclusivity of the government. The vacant posts – especially that of the minister of defence or of the interior – are expected to be assigned at a parliamentary session on 6 November.
According to the spokesperson, the new government will have to begin "urgently" to address the numerous challenges facing Iraq in order to respond to the legitimate needs of the Iraqi people, by building also on the achievements of the outgoing prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, and his government.
The spokesperson stated that "the EU's continued aim is to work with the new government in support of the stability, security, inclusive democracy and prosperity" of the country. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)