Iraqi parliament approves new electricity minister

Iraqi parliament on Monday approved a new electricity minister to replace a resigned one for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government, an official from the parliament told Xinhua. "In its 36th session, the Council of Representatives ( parliament) approved with majority the candidate of Iraqia bloc, Abdul Karim Aftan, for the post of minister of electricity," the official from the parliament's media office said on condition of anonymity. The Iraqi state-run television said late Sunday that Maliki himself accepted Aftan's nomination for the post by his rival Iraqia bloc, headed by the former prime minister Ayad Allawi, but according to the Iraqi law Aftan needs the parliament approval as well to take over the post. Aftan's nomination came after Maliki removed the former minister Raad Shalal al-Ani from office in mid August over irregular deals worth 1.7 billion U.S. dollars for building power plants with two faked foreign firms.