KURDISTAN NEWSLINE

September 3, 2003

 

 

Historic Inauguration  of First Post-Saddam Iraq Cabinet

 

 

 

Nesreen Sideek Bewari, right, is congratulated by members of Iraq's Governing Council  Jalal Talabani and Ibrahim al Ja'afari on Wednesday after being sworn in as minister for Public Works

 

 Baghdad, Sept 3 -- In a significant step toward restoring self-governance, the new Iraqi cabinet members  were sworn into office at Baghdad’s convention center by the council’s outgoing president, Ibrahim al-Ja’afari , in front of an  audience that included Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III, Ambassador Richmond’s of the UK, and representatives from the Diplomatic corps in Baghdad.

 

Ibrahim Ja'afari delivering a speech

 

Ahmed Chalabi

          

 

The inauguration was initiated with a recital from the Quran, followed by an opening statement by the current President of the Iraqi Governing Council, Ahmed Chalabi.  In his remarks, he stated that this was a new start for Iraq.  He then passed the floor to leader of the Dawa party,  Ibrahim Ja’afari, who held the presidency of the Governing Council when the Ministers were officially appointed (August 31).

 

Mr.  Ja’afari thanked everyone for attending and gave a special mention to all those that had lost their lives in the struggle for freedom and liberty from dictatorship.

 

"Exceptional effort is demanded from every minister, and that he or she work for the rebuilding of Iraq, and do all that is needed to meet the needs of its people," he said, before the 25 members of the cabinet took their oath of office, pledging to serve the country and its people.

 

One by one the newly appointed Ministers of Iraq were called to swear an oath of allegiance in front of Ahamad Chalabi, Ibrahim Ja’afari and   Jalal Talabani.

 

Key ministerial posts were awarded to the Kurds, including Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Hoshyar Zebari), Ministry of Industry (Mohammad Tawfiq), Ministry of Water Resources (Dr. Latif Rashid) and Ministry of Public Works (Ms. Nasreeen Sideek Berwari, the only woman appointed to head a cabinet post), and Ministry of Environment (Abdul-Rahman Sidiq Kareem).

 

 

Ministers Mohammad Tawfiq (left picture) and Hoshyar Zebari (Right picture) taking the oath office during the ceremony presided by Jalal Talabani (left),  Ahmad Chalabi (Center) and Ibrahim Ja’afari (right)

 

 

Ambassador Bremer pledged that the new cabinet would enjoy real control over the running of the government. "They will run the ministries, the day-to-day business of government is in their hands, they will be involved in the final stages of the 2004 budget preps, and they will have responsibility for operating their ministries according to those budgets," Bremer said.” It is our intention to keep authority and responsibility closely linked, and therefore as the ministers settle into their positions, the advisers from the coalition will not only yield authority, we will thrust authority on the new ministers."

 

Following the ceremony, Ambassador Bremer hosted a reception for the Ministers, their spouses and Governing Council members, where many of the ministers were acquainted with the coalitions senior advisors for various sectors.

 

The ministers will now undertake the awesome challenges of rebuilding their departments and leading the country toward democratic self-rule.

 

 

 

Cabinet list

Oil: Ibrahim Mohamed Bahr al-Uloum, Shia

Finance: Kamil Mubdir al-Gailani, Sunni

Interior: Nori al-Badran, Shia

Foreign Affairs: Hoshyar Zebari, Kurd

Trade: Ali Adbul-Amir Allawi, Shia

Water resources: Latif Rasheed, Kurd

Communications: Haider al-Ebadi, Shia

Public Works: Nesreen Mustafa Sidiq Berwari, Kurd

Construction and housing: Bayan Baqir Solagh, Shia

Environment: Abdul-Rahman Sidiq Kareem, Kurd

Planning: Mahdi al-Hafidh, Shia

Education: Alaudin Abdul-Shaheeb al-Alwan, Shia

Industry and minerals: Mohammed Tawfik Raheem, Kurd

Higher education: Zeyad Abdul-Razzaq Mohammed Aswad, Sunni

Culture: Mofeed Mohammed Jawad al-Jazaeri, Shia

Human rights: Abdul-Basit Turki, Sunni

Agriculture: Abdul-Ameer Rahima al-Abboud, Shia

Transport: Behnam Zayya Polis, Christian

Sport and youth: Ali Faik al-Ghaban, Shia

Health: Khudayer Abbas, Shia

 Justice: Hashim Abdul-Rahman al-Shibli, Sunni

Science and Technoloy: Rashad Mandan Omar, Turkoman

Work and social affairs: Sami Izara al-Majoun, Shia

Electricity: Ayham al-Samaraie, Sunni

Immigration and refugees: Mohammed Jassem Khudair, Shia

 

 

Jalal Talabani Confers with Bahraini Envoy

 

 

 

September 3 – Kurdish leader and Presidential Committee member of the Iraqi Governing Council Jalal Talabani today received Mr. Hisaan Nurallah, Bahrain’s head of mission to Iraq.

 

Mr. Nurallah conveyed warm greetings from  from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad. He further expressed satisfaction on behalf of the kingdom of Bahrain regarding Jalal Talabani’s recent official visit to Bahrain.

 

Mr. Talabani thanked Mr. Nurallah for the hospitality that was accorded to his delegation while in Bahrain, and expressed his desire to continue to strengthen the relationship between the Kurdish, Iraqi and the people and government of Bahrain.

 

 Mr. Nurallah congratulated both Jalal Talabani, and in particular Dr Latif Rashid, the new Minister of Water Resources, who was present at the meeting, for the historic formation of the new cabinet and expressed his support for the considerable progress that is being made in Iraq.

 

 

IRAQ RECLAIMS ITS SEAT AT ARAB LEAGUE

 

 

BAGHDAD, Sept 3-- The following statement was issued by Ahmad Chalabi, President of the Iraqi Governing Council:

 

"The Governing Council has requested the Minister of Foreign Affairs to inform the League of Arab States that Iraq intends to take its rightful place at the conference of Arab League foreign ministers scheduled for 9 September, 2003.  Iraq will be represented at the conference by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Hoshyar Zebari."