BAGHDAD, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi parliament on Thursday approved three deputy prime ministers and 11 new cabinet ministers in a vote to fill vacant government positions after about five months of political standoff, according to a parliamentary statement.
During a session attended by 261 lawmakers and chaired by Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi, the parliament voted to approve Mohsen al-Mandalawi, Laith al-Khazali, and Mohammed Ali Tamim as deputy prime ministers.
The lawmakers also approved 11 new cabinet ministers, including Yasir Sakhil al-Maliki as interior minister and Nayef al-Shammari as defense minister, according to the statement.
"Within five months of the government's formation, the ministerial cabinet has been completed, and all vacant ministerial portfolios have been filled," Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said in a separate statement.
Al-Zaidi was sworn in on May 14 with a partial cabinet after lawmakers approved 14 ministers, while key positions were left vacant pending political consensus to finalize the government lineup. ■
