Iraqi prime minister unveils anti-corruption measures

Some of his proposals have already been approved by the council of ministers but still require the parliament’s approval, while others will require changes to the country’s constitution, meaning that swift action is unlikely.

Amid a major heatwave that has seen temperatures top 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit), protesters have railed against the poor quality of services, especially power outages that leave just a few hours of government-supplied electricity per day.

Iraq’s solution of discussing out authorities posts along sectarian outline is actually criticized for promotion not qualified aspirants and enabling problem.

Al-Abadi’s plan would reduce spending on personal bodyguards for officials and transfer the responsibility to the Interior and Defense Ministries, which would have their budgets expanded.

Men, women and children waved Iraqi flags and chanted through the evening, calling on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to dissolve the parliament and sack corrupt government officials.

Responding to weeks of street protests, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi issued an edict Sunday designed to crack down on corruption and slash government expenditures.

The proposed reforms come after two consecutive weeks of mass demonstrations in central Baghdad over municipal mismanagement and inadequate government services. During that time, Iraqi civilians and troops have died at a rate of more than 1,100 a month from terrorism and armed conflict, according to United Nations data.

Last Friday, Iraq’s most influential Shia cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called on Abadi to “strike with an iron fist” against corruption and urged him to make political appointments based on the candidate’s ability as opposed to his party or sectarian affiliation.

The parliamentary bloc of Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr, of which Araji is a member, welcomed Al Abadi’s decree, lawmaker Ameer Al Kinani said in a statement.

“The winners from these airstrikes are the Kurds, not the Iraqi fighters who’re battling the Islamic State group militants in Salahuddin and Anbar provinces”, stated Hadi Jalu, an analyst who can also be president of the Journalistic Freedom Observatory.

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.

Late Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, criticising MPs and other politicians and saying they supported Abadi’s reforms, but that further steps were needed.