Iraqi parliament approves new government headed by Mohammed Shia al-Sudani

Agencies | Baghdad

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Iraqi lawmakers approved a new government on Thursday ending over a year of deadlock, but still faces many challenges.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani,52, who previously served as Iraq’s human rights minister as well as minister of labour and social affairs, will head the new government.

Sunadi's picks for 21 ministries passed during a parliament vote on the Cabinet. He named the head of state-run South Gas Co. (SGC) Hayan Abdul Ghani as oil minister.

Thursday's parliament session comes a year after an election in which populist Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was the biggest winner but failed to rally support to form a government.

Sadr withdrew his 73 lawmakers in August and said he would quit politics, prompting the worst violence in Baghdad for years when his loyalists stormed a government palace and fought rival Shi'ite groups, most of them backed by Iran and with armed wings.