Iraq PM Proposes Abolishing Vice Presidencies in Reform Push

Iraq’s Council of Ministers on Sunday approved a package of reforms proposed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ostensibly aimed at improving public services and rooting out widespread corruption.

Although some aspects of the senior-level shakeup would require parliamentary approval, the plan would immediately reduce the number of guards allotted to top officials and reform the way government positions are filled.

Late on Sunday, thousands gathered at Tahrir Square in capital Baghdad to support the reform package.

While the plunge in oil prices and the battle against Islamic State militants are depleting the government’s coffers, many Iraqis say corruption is compounding the nation’s economic woes. The protests began due to unreliable electricity amid a heatwave, where temperatures in some parts of Iraq have reached 123 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a statement following al-Sistani’s sermon, the prime minister’s office said al-Abadi is “fully committed to the valued guidance of the supreme religious authority”.

The country’s powerful Shiite militias – whose political influence has grown as they overtake the Iraqi army in the fight against the Islamic State – also threw their weight behind Friday’s protests.

Sistani, who is revered by millions of Iraqis, called on Friday for Abadi to take “drastic measures” against corruption, saying that the “minor steps” he had announced were not enough.

Anti-government demonstrations persisted in several cities such as Basra, Baghdad, Nasriyah and Najaf in the past two weeks over poor living conditions, including electricity cuts and water quality.

Al-Maliki, who served as prime minister from 2006 till the center of final yr, was extensively accused of monopolizing energy.

Haider al-Abbadi proposes decree cancelling the roles, vowing to tackle corruption and cut costs amid national protests. “(He needs) to point to those who slow down reform no matter who they are or what position they hold”, Sistani’s aide said.

The measures include the abolition of the posts of vice-president and deputy prime minister.

Baghdad’s heavy-handed response to the country’s most recent protest movement – by Sunni Arabs demonstrating against their marginalisation by authorities – helped set the stage for the jihadist takeover of a third of the country past year.

Despite having popular support, Abadi’s efforts face major challenges.

“Each of these deputies has a regiment of bodyguards and each would have received one billion dinars per month”, he said.