Iraq's parliament gave its vote of confidence to a new Cabinet on Thursday, breaking a yearlong political stalemate and marking the first since 2005 without members from the bloc of a powerful Shiite cleric.
A majority of the 253 lawmakers present voted to appoint 21 ministers, with two posts — the Construction and Housing Ministry and the Environment Ministry — remaining undecided. Despite those two unresolved appointments, the approved Cabinet lineup constitutes a quorum.
