Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi yesterday called for sweeping reforms, including abolishing the current post of former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, in response to weeks of demonstrations against corruption and poor services.
The proposed reforms, at least some of which require the approval of the Cabinet and parliament, followed a call for tougher measures from Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
DIFFICULT CHANGES
However, even with popular pressure and al-Sistani’s backing, the entrenched nature of corruption in Iraq and the fact that parties across the political spectrum benefit from it is set to make any efforts to change the system extremely difficult.
One of the most drastic of the proposals outlined in an online statement was the call for the eliminations of the posts of vice president and deputy prime minister “immediately.”
However, the changes would apparently require the constitution to be amended, meaning that rapid action is unlikely.
The three vice presidential posts, which come with more privileges than responsibilities, are held by former top officials — al-Maliki, former Iraqi Council of Representatives speaker Osama al-Nujaifiand former Iraqi prime minister Ayad Allawi.
Al-Maliki said in a statement the night before al-Abadi publicly outlined his plan that he supported the reform drive, indicating that the proposed changes might have been made as part of a deal that he endorsed.
Al-Abadi also called for a major overhaul of the way senior officials are selected, saying that all “party and sectarian quotas” should be abolished and that candidates chosen by a committee be appointed by the prime minister.
BONES OF CONTENTION
He also said there should be a “comprehensive and immediate reduction” in the number of guards for all officials.
This has long been a problem, with some officials having massive personal protection units, while others hire less than the allotted number and pocket the remainder of the allowance.
He also called for an end to “special provisions” for senior officials, both current and retired.
He did not specify what these were, but government-provided vehicles, large salaries and generous retirement benefits have all long been bones of contention between the authorities and ordinary Iraqis.
In addition, old and current corruption cases should be reopened under the supervision of a high commission for fighting corruption, al-Abadi said.
Al-Sistani, who is revered by millions of Iraqis, on Friday called for al-Abadi to take “drastic measures” against corruption, saying that the “minor steps” he had announced were not enough.
“He must be more daring and courageous in his reforms,” Ahmed al-Safi, a representative of the reclusive al-Sistani, said in a sermon delivered in the shrine city of Karbala.
However, al-Abadi’s efforts face major challenges.
“The entire system of government is rotten. The constitution is decrepit, the legal framework is woefully inadequate and the political class is utterly corrupt and incompetent,” said Zaid al-Ali, author of The Struggle for Iraq’s Future.
“All political parties that are part of government profit directly from the current system, which is why it has remained unchanged since 2005,” he said.
Baghdad and other cities have seen weeks of protests against the poor quality of services, especially power outages that leave Iraqis with only a few hours of government-supplied electricity per day as temperatures top 50oC.
The demonstrators have blamed the services crisis on corruption and incompetence across the political class.
However, some parties and politicians have sought to align themselves with the protesters — at least in their rhetoric — to take advantage of the movement and mitigate the risk to themselves.
People have protested over services and corruption before, but the demonstrations failed to bring about significant change.
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