Al Abadi Government
The Al Abadi government was approved by the Assembly on 8 September 2014,[1] following the general election in April 2014.The names of thirty five ministers were approved, with the defense and interior ministries not yet filled.[1] On 18 October 2014, the Iraq parliament named Khaled al-Obaidi, a member of parliament's Sunni Arab Itihad al-Quwa al-Wataniyah bloc as defense minister, and Mohammed Al-Ghabban, a member of the Shiite Badr bloc, as interior minister.[2] In August 2015, following popular protests against corruption and lack of services, backed by senior cleric Ali al-Sistani, the Prime Minister reduced the cabinet to 22 members.[3]