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Iraq's Hussain al-Shahristani to stay oil minister: Sources

"The minister of oil will stay in his place as the minister of oil," said Abdul-Hadi al-Hasani, an official with Maliki's Dawa party and former deputy leader of parliament's oil and gas committee.

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Iraqi oil minister Hussain al-Shahristani, the architect of deals with oil majors that could vault Iraq into the top ranks of global producers, will keep his job in Iraq's new government, senior officials said on Saturday. 

"The minister of oil will stay in his place as the minister of oil," said Abdul-Hadi al-Hasani, an official with Maliki's Dawa party and former deputy leader of parliament's oil and gas committee.   

A source close to Shahristani confirmed the minister would remain in office rather than take a post as deputy prime minister in charge of energy affairs.

"Hussain al-Shahristani shall keep his position as oil minister in the next government," the source said. "Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is strongly backing him to keep his position."

Maliki will present his cabinet choices to parliament on Monday. 

Iraq has been without a new government for more than nine months since an inconclusive election in March, with the country's main Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish factions reaching agreement last month on dividing up top government posts.                                           

Shahristani had been under consideration for deputy prime minister with responsibility for the oil, electricity and other energy portfolios but did not think the new job would give him enough influence, a senior member of Maliki's negotiating team said.       

"The prime minister has a desire to let Shahristani be deputy prime minister for power affairs but Shahristani thinks that the minister will be the owner of the final decisions in his ministry," the source said.

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