MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the Rudaw news agency, the parliament approved Hasan Janabi as Minister for Water, Wafa Mahdawi as Minister for Labour, Alaa Ghani as Minister for Health, Abdulrazaq Eisa as Minister for Higher Education, Alaa Dishr as Minister for Electricity and Aqeel Mahdi as Minister for Culture who had earlier been nominated by Abadi under increasing pressure from demonstrators.
A number of other officials, including oil, finance and foreign affairs ministers among others, are to be voted on Thursday.
In mid-April, the legislature rejected Abadi's proposal for 15 cabinet nominations while dozens of Iraqi lawmakers rallied in the parliament urging the nation’s president, prime minister and parliamentary speaker to step down.
Massive protests against corruption and government incompetence were organized in March by supporters of Iraqi Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr, a prominent political figure in the country.
In Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index-2015, Iraq ranks 161th out of 167 positions.
