Baghdad to consider ministerial candidates

BAGHDAD, July 18 (UPI) -- The Iraqi government Friday approved a list of 10 candidates for Cabinet ministers to be considered by Parliament in its Saturday session, a spokesman said.

The vote could signal a return to the government by the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front bloc, which withdrew from the government in 2007 over a series of political disputes regarding power-sharing agreements, Voices of Iraq said.

"Six posts would be assumed by the Iraqi Accordance Front candidates, while the United Iraqi Alliance would hold four," Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.

The IAF made recent moves to return to the government, but withdrew over disputes concerning Planning Minister Ali Baban, who stayed on with the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki following the IAF boycott.

In related political developments, the Dawa Party of the Iraqi premier said Friday it would continue its suspension of affiliation with the UIA, citing disputes with the decisionmaking progress and other various political disagreements.