Iraq’s Prime Minister Haidar al-‘Abadi presented parliament with a new proposed cabinet on 31 March.

Though mostly comprised of technocratic figures the list held a number of surprises, including the left-field nomination of the little-known Kurdish academic Nazar Salim Doski Numan as Oil Minister, following the announcemebt last week by incumbent ‘Adil ‘Abd al-Mahdi that he had submitted his resignation – although he remains in office. (CONTINUED - 1192 WORDS)