BAGHDAD (AP) – Iraq’s minister of defense received a no-confidence vote from parliament Thursday just as Iraqi forces retook a key northern town near the Islamic State-held city of Mosul.
Khaled al-Obeidi is the first sitting defense minister to receive a no-confidence vote from parliament since the overthrow of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in 2003. The vote against him comes after weeks of political wrangling over corruption allegations.
The minister received 142 votes of no confidence in parliament Thursday, slightly more than the absolute majority needed for the vote to pass, according to lawmakers Sadiq al-Rikabi and Mohammed Saadoun from the powerful State of Law block.
According to Iraq’s constitution, after a no-confidence vote from parliament the minister “is considered resigned from the date of the decision.” However the issue “may be tabled only at that Minister’s request or at the signed request of 50 (parliament) members after an inquiry discussion directed at him.”
Parliament will then be able to respond to such a request seven days after it is submitted. Al-Obeidi’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment if he would try to table the decision.