Iraq's Kurds demand 20 percent of government posts

Baghdad, (IINA) - Kurdish lawmakers in Iraq have demanded no less than 20 percent of the new government posts on Sunday as Iraqi Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi continued consultations with a view to reshuffle his Cabinet, Anadolu Agency reported.
Under pressure from Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, al-Abadi has begun talks aimed at forming a new government of technocrats untainted by corruption or sectarianism, both of which, critics say, have hamstrung Iraq’s previous post-invasion governments.
"The Kurds will not accept less than 20 percent of the ministerial posts in any new cabinet", Kurdish MP Ala Talabani said at a press conference following talks with Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri.
"The Kurds should participate in the political process", she added. "This government should not repeat the mistakes made by previous governments".
Kurds hold three ministerial posts in the current Iraqi government -- culture, migration and finance -- along with the presidency.
Last summer, Iraq’s parliament approved a sweeping raft of reforms aimed at meeting popular demands to eliminate government corruption and streamline state bureaucracy.
AG/IINA

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