Abadi’s Cabinet reform ignites political upheaval

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's second attempt to overhaul his Cabinet has whipped up a political maelstrom in Baghdad, deepening the uncertainty over who will hold the country's key leadership posts and raising threats of a no-confidence vote.

After Abadi's first attempt to revamp his Cabinet stalled amidst broad political opposition and the withdrawal of key candidates, Abadi appeared at Parliament Tuesday to present a second, revised list of Cabinet nominees to Speaker of Parliament Salim al-Jabouri and the heads of the major political blocs. Many of those leaders had made a show of public unity one day earlier by signing a document outlining a nebulous plan for government reform.