Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat – A senior source in Iyad Allawi’s Iraqiya bloc informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the ministries of defense, labor, communication, youth and sport, electricity, finance, displacement and migration, agriculture, and education, have been awarded to the Iraqiya bloc, with Allawi himself being appointed chairman of the newly formed National Council for Strategic Policies.

The senior source also told Asharq Al-Awsat that the candidates to head up these ministries include former Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib, Iskandar Watout, Mohammed Allawi, Jamal al-Battikh, and Qutaiba al-Jabouri. The source did not clarify which candidate would be appointed to which ministerial position, although he did say that al-Battikh could be appointed Minister of Agriculture and that al-Naqib and Watout would be appointed to the ministry of Defense.

Elsewhere, Iraqiya bloc MP Talal Zobaie confirmed that current Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Rafie al-Issawi would be appointed Minister of Finance, al-Naqib would be appointed Minister of Defense, and that most likely, Qutaiba al-Jabouri would be appointed Minister of Health, Mohammed Allawi would become Minister of Communication, and Ahmed Karbouli would be appointed Minister of Displacement and Migration.

A leading figure in the National Alliance, Hassan al-Sinead, told the press that the national committee in charge of forming an Iraqi cabinet has reached results that he described as important. He said that the process of forming a cabinet “had developed in a positive manner and within the 30 days granted for this, according to the Iraqi Constitution” which is a deadline that ends on 24/12/2010.