Iraqi Parliament Approves PM Mustafa Kadhemi's New Cabinet

Iraqi premier Mustafa Kadhemi formally took office early Thursday after parliament approved a Cabinet lineup subject to a slew of 11th-hour changes to appease political parties.

A total of 255 of parliament's 329 members took part in the vote, which was scheduled to take place at 9:00 p.m. local time but began well after midnight to accommodate the edits.

They approved 15 ministers out of a prospective 22-seat Cabinet, with seven ministries -- including the key oil and foreign affairs positions -- still empty.

The government is tasked with holding early elections, navigating an economic crisis brought on by oil price crashes and coping with the deadly coronavirus pandemic.