Iraqi PM bids to cancel posts of deputy PM and vice-president

The cabinet approved the reform plan on Sunday, Abadi’s office said, but changes such as abolishing the posts would apparently require the constitution to be amended, which would necessitate parliamentary action.

Iraq has three vice presidents, two Shiites and a Sunni, and three deputy prime ministers, a Shiite, a Sunni and a Kurd.

When al-Abadi was named premier elect on August 10 last year, he vowed to form a government based on efficiency and integrity.

Al-Abadi also suggested reducing the number of bodyguards for state officials with the aim of cutting public spending.

The moves have come after days of intense protests by Iraqis demanding stricter punishment for corruption and better handling of government services. The protests began due to unreliable electricity amid a heatwave, where temperatures in some parts of Iraq have reached 123 degrees Fahrenheit.

On Friday, within the metropolis of Najaf, Sistani exhorted Abadi to defy corruption and sectarianism and be extra “brave and daring” in his reform agenda, in accordance with the cleric’s consultant, Ali Safi.

Mustafa Saadoun, one of the organisers of the recent protests in Baghdad and director of the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights, said a rally in support of the government’s decision is expected later in the day.

Abadi, in a decree announced on Facebook and Twitter Sunday, said the positions of vice presidents and deputy prime minister will be abolished with immediate effect.

Mr Abadi’s seven-point plan also includes a requirement for a number of government positions to be filled with political independents – a move aimed at cracking down on corruption.

The sweeping strikes have been extensively seen as a concession to tens of hundreds of Iraqis who’ve taken to the streets of Baghdad and eight different provinces in central and southern Iraq in current weeks to denounce what they name widespread corruption, official incompetence and a breakdown in providers.

The prime minister’s office insisted that “all special payment to government committees and retired officials would be revoked”.

Political analyst Ahmed Younis said corruption, economic pressures, and the battle against ISIS had “pushed Abadi with the country to the edge of the cliff”.

Mr Al Maliki and Mr Al Nujaifi both issued statements on Sunday backing Mr Al Abadi’s push for reforms.

The leaders of some of Iraq’s Shiite militias, which have seen their popularity soar as they took on the burnt of the fight against ISIL, could potentially look to carve out more political power for themselves.