The Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office declared the Council of Ministers unanimously approved Haider al-Abadis reform package in an emergency session held today.
Based on this reform Haider al-Abadi has issued an order for deputy prime ministers and vice presidents in Iraq to be sacked, and corruption files to be opened.
“The role of Dr. al-Abadi is important and difficult, if he starts trekking in the path of political reform and investigating the financial and crimes dossiers from 2003 to this day, and prosecutes all criminals and corrupt individuals, big and small, we will most definitely be standing along his side,” said Iraqi Vice President Ayad Allawi.
Muqtada Sadr called on Haider al-Abadi to refer the corruption files of former governments and the current cabinet to the judiciary officials for investigation. In his statement Muqtada Sadr emphasized this subject involves all political factions, including the al-Ahrar faction and any individual affiliated to it.
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri emphasized the Parliament is ready to support the legal reforms presented by Haider al-Abadi.
Iraqi Vice President Osama al-Nujaifi welcomed the decision made by Haider al-Abadi to set aside all deputy prime ministers and vice presidents in Iraq and added, “The important litmus test is loyalty to the nation and fighting corruption.”
Sky News reported from Baghdad:
This is the first such decision made by a senior Iraqi official at the prime minister level from 2003 onward. This order targets government posts such as vice presidents and deputy prime ministers that are assigned according to sectarian rationing. Naturally this needs a final approval from the Iraqi Parliament. Through these measures the Prime Minister has thrown the ball into the Parliament’s court, and is also telling the Iraqi people I have answered to all your demands and now the ball is in the Parliament’s court, and they must decide if they choose to follow the Prime Minister’s order to abolish the posts of the vice presidents and deputy prime minister through the legislative branch?
Informed sources inside the office of Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri told Sky News the Speaker has emphasized the Parliament will have a completely positive approach vis-à-vis the rulings issued by the Council of Ministers based on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s orders. This subject requires the parliament to hold an emergency session to confirm these orders.
To this end factions inside the Iraqi Parliament, especially the National Forces Alliance, the al-Muwaten faction and Ahrar (linked to the Sadrists) have confirmed the Prime Minister’s orders and approved his reformist steps. Therefore, the orders of the Prime Minister inside the Parliament will be upheld and an emergency session will be held to immediately confirm these rulings. This will be aimed at gaining the people’s support and decreasing the pressure on them because the level of corruption in Iraq has reached very high levels and dangerous points, and most Iraqi officials are admitting to this matter. This pushed the Iraqi people to the boiling point and they poured into the streets in the form of protest movements in cities across the country.
