Iraq's government has agreed on who will be the country's new defence and oil ministers, breaking an impasse which prevented the full cabinet from being sworn in this month.
Leading sources in the two main political blocs - the Shi'ites and the Kurdish coalition - said Saadoun al-Dulaimi, a Sunni Arab, would be the new defence minister. Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum, a Shi'ite, will be oil minister.
A formal announcement is expected later today or early tomorrow, the sources said.
Iraq's Sunni Arab minority, dominant during the rule of Saddam Hussein, was sidelined after the January 30 elections as most Sunni Arabs stayed away from the polls due to calls for a boycott and fears of insurgent attacks.
Shi'ite and Kurdish leaders, trying to undermine the insurgency mainly fought by Sunni Arab guerrillas, promised to give key cabinet posts to Sunni Arabs, including the defence ministry.
But disagreements over which Sunni Arab would take the defence portfolio delayed a deal.
Several candidates were rejected by Shi'ites who alleged they had been too close to Saddam's regime. There was also a dispute between the Shi'ites and Kurds over who would control the key oil ministry. A partial cabinet was sworn in on Tuesday, with temporary ministers announced for the vacant posts.