The Iraqi cabinet, which is religiously and culturally diverse, went under oath for the second time, Monday, following a demand by Kurdish leaders that a reference to federalism which had been removed from the original text be reinserted. The clause was reinserted following concerns that it may spark a threat to the Kurdish-Shiite alliance. The issue of federalism is important to the Kurds who have enjoyed autonomy in the northern part of Iraq.

The cabinet is also made up of 17 Shiites, 8 Kurds, 6 Sunnis and 1 Christian, displaying the diversity of the nation. There are also six women expected to be part of the new cabinet. One of these women is the Science and Technology Minister Bassema Yusef Butrus.