BAGHDAD, May 9: Iraq’s prime minister-designate Nuri Al-Maliki said on Tuesday that the line-up for country’s first permanent government of the post-Saddam era was almost ready, after months of tortuous negotiations.

“We will finalise the cabinet today or tomorrow and will present the new government to the parliament this week,” he told reporters.

“This is a government of all Iraqis and not of one sect,” Maliki said.

“Iraqis have suffered enough under the Saddam Hussein regime, and they now need a strong unity government.”

Maliki said the cabinet was ‘90 per cent’ ready, and the candidates for the heads of the five key ministries — interior, defence, oil, finance and foreign affairs — had been finalised.

“The candidates for the interior and defence ministries are independents and not from any major political party, nor do they have any links with any militias,” Maliki said.—AFP