ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Iraqi parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday voiced strong opposition to a list of ambassadors recently approved by the Council of Ministers, saying the appointments were made on the basis of political and personal affiliations as opposed to legitimate diplomatic credentials.

Committee member Haider al-Salami told The New Region that parliament would not allow the list to pass. “There is significant parliamentary rejection of this list, which was created by political blocs and influential parties. We will work to stop any attempt to approve it,” he said.

Salami warned that appointing people with no diplomatic background or experience threatens Iraq’s global reputation. “The ambassador represents Iraq abroad. Choosing unqualified individuals based on political power-sharing puts our country’s name at risk. This list is a serious threat to our image,” he said.

The list has stirred public controversy after it was shared by lawmakers and journalists, who claimed it includes relatives of top political leaders and government officials.

Among the names are Laith al-Sadr, a cousin and in-law of Hussein Ismail al-Sadr in Kadhimiya; Haider al-Ghaban, the nephew of former Interior Minister and Badr Organization leader Salim al-Ghaban; and Baqir al-Najjar, a son-in-law of Supreme Council head Humam Hammoudi.

Also named are Nizar Hassan Mohammed Taqi al-Hakim, the nephew of former lawmaker Abdulhadi al-Hakim, whose own son is an adviser to the prime minister, and Rahman al-Amiri, the brother of Badr leader Hadi al-Amiri.

Other appointees include Hussein al-Sudani, the cousin of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani; Qais al-Amiri, the son-in-law of Popular Mobilization Forces chief Faleh al-Fayyad; and Ihsan al-Awadi, director of the prime minister’s office.

Jwan Ihsan Fawzi, the head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan bloc in parliament, is also on the list, along with Mohammed al-Ashiqer, the nephew of former Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari; Abdulbaset al-Mashhadani, the son of Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani; Yazan al-Jubouri, the son of politician Mishaan al-Jubouri; and Murtada al-Suhail, the brother of former MP Hisham al-Suhail and a presidential adviser from the State of Law Coalition.

In a social media post reviewed by The New Region, MP Raed al-Maliki mocked the list, comparing it to a welfare roster. “These aren’t people receiving social benefits. These are ambassadorial appointments,” he wrote.

Maliki criticized the decision to approve such a large number of ambassadors at once. “The cabinet has no time, and parliament has no patience. Why are they approving 112 ambassadors in one go? This is how the country is run under the State Administration Coalition.”

He said that the legislature would investigate the qualifications of the appointees and review their past service, legal eligibility, and whether they meet the needs of diplomatic representation.

 “Ambassadorship is not a retirement reward,” he said. “It’s a high-level national service.”