Iraq's parliament approved prime minister Nuri al-Maliki and his new government today, nine months after an inconclusive election left politics in limbo and delayed investments to rebuild the country after years of war.
Lawmakers voted Mr Maliki and a new slate of ministers into office, elevating oil minister Hussain al-Shahristani to deputy prime minister for energy, and leaving in place Kurdish veteran foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari.
Highlighting the ethnic and sectarian divides that pervade the war-ravaged country, parliament had to postpone the vote yesterday after last-minute factional disputes and political horse-trading over posts delayed the government's formation.
As Mr Maliki read out the chosen ministers' names one by one, parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi scanned the chamber for raised hands and said "approved by the majority" each time. The speaker did not ask for a show of hands from those opposing the candidate or abstaining from the vote.
In separate votes, parliament approved three deputy prime ministers as well as other cabinet ministers and the government's programme. The government was then declared formed with Mr Maliki as the prime minister.
Mr Maliki acknowledged his ministerial list was not perfect.
"I do not say that this government, with all its formations, satisfies its citizens' aspirations, nor the political blocs', nor my ambition, nor any other person's ambition, because it is formed ... in extraordinary circumstances," he told lawmakers.
"This is what we have, and what we have could be better than what we had if we stand by our decisions," he added.
Former prime minister Iyad Allawi, who failed to gain enough support for a majority after his cross-sectarian Iraqiya bloc won the most seats, told the assembly his Sunni-backed coalition would participate fully in the government.
"Iraqiya will play an active, productive and cooperative role," he told the session, broadcast on national television.
Two female lawmakers protested at today's assembly against the absence of women in the new cabinet.
Mr Maliki has yet to decide on permanent choices for 11 positions, including sensitive security-related ministries such as defence and interior. Acting ministers were put in charge.
The prime minister promoted deputy oil minister Abdul Kareem Luaibi to minister and made prominent Sunni leader Rafie al-Esawi finance minister.
While Mr Shahristani was minister, the oil ministry reached a series of deals with oil majors that could boost Iraq's output capacity to 12 million barrels per day, rivalling global leader Saudi Arabia, from about 2.5 million barrels per day now.
For international oil companies, Mr Shahristani's continued control over the oil sector will be seen as assurance that contracts he agreed will be honoured in the absence of formal guarantees, since Iraq still lacks a new hydrocarbons law.
The appointment of Luaibi could also be seen as a sign of continuity for companies that signed deals with Iraq to develop its oilfields, which are among the largest in the world but suffered from a lack of investment during decades of war and international economic sanctions.
A power-sharing deal on November 10th between Shia, Sunni and Kurdish blocs put Mr Maliki on track for a second term as prime minister. The pact returned Kurd Jalal Talabani as president and made Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni, parliament's speaker.
Mr Allawi, a secular Shia, has said he will join the government as head of a new national strategic policy council. His decision, announced on Sunday after weeks of wavering, could soothe worries about renewed sectarian violence.
After decades of war and sanctions, and 7.5 years after a US-led invasion that toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein, Iraq is seeking to rebuild its shattered infrastructure. The country relies on oil for 95 per cent of federal revenues.
Reuters