Iraqi blocs sign a document reforms give the government and parliament 45 days

[DoD]

 

Iraqi political forces give the government 45 days to start implementing reforms

45 days is to long to start the implementing, they should have given them until the end of the year to have the reforms implemented...IMHO

[yota691]

Iraq .. Ministerial amendments expected

 

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi speaks during a press conference in Berlin. Reuters

money and business Economy News - Baghdad Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi will introduce reformist cabinet reshuffles, the prime minister's office spokesman said on Tuesday. Al-Hadithi, in remarks reported by the official news agency (conscious), that Abdul-Mahdi will provide a list of ministers to the ministries of service and economic and concerned in the file of reforms and respond to the demands of the demonstrators at the level of living and service. He pointed out that "some candidates have been selected and there is an update to choose others according to purely professional considerations and the Prime Minister's convictions of the capabilities and capabilities of new candidates, away from the interventions and influences of political blocs and their nominations." He pointed out the official spokesman for the Prime Minister, that "the Prime Minister will soon go to the House of Representatives to put forward his desire to reshuffle." He explained that Abdul-Mahdi "will demand the House of Representatives to support this trend to develop a new mechanism with regard to the process of selecting new ministers away from political quotas or partisan loyalties, which had overcome the selection mechanism in previous governments." Views: 24   Date Added: 19/11/2019

[yota691]

9 minutes ago, DoD said:

45 days is to long to start the implementing, they should have given them until the end of the year to have the reforms implemented...IMHO

Believe that means the end of the year...and GM DV

Quote

.For its practical steps, the implementation will begin within a short period not exceeding the end of this year ie 45 days. "

 

[mannie2g]

15 minutes ago, DoD said:

 

Iraqi political forces give the government 45 days to start implementing reforms

45 days is to long to start the implementing, they should have given them until the end of the year to have the reforms implemented...IMHO

I agree. 45 days is entirely to long to give these corrupt politicians to implement reforms when they had all year to do them. All this does is gives them 45 days to come up with more plans to screw over the citizens of Iraq. 

[Butifldrm]

Tuesday، 19 November 2019 01:10 PM

 

The bloodbath in Baghdad

 

The death toll in the mass protests that have shaken Iraq for the last seven weeks has risen to over 330, with an estimated 15,000 wounded.

 

Young Iraqis have continued to pour into the streets in defiance of fierce repression to press their demands for jobs, social equality and an end to the unspeakably corrupt political regime created by the US occupation that followed the criminal American invasion of 2003.

Most of those killed have been felled by live ammunition, including machine-gun fire and bullets fired by snipers, both randomly into crowds and at identified protest leaders.

 

Others have suffered hideous fatal wounds from military-grade tear gas grenades fired point-blank into the demonstrators, in some cases with canisters ending up lodged in the victims’ skulls or lungs. In addition, water cannon have been employed, spraying scalding hot water into the protests.

Forced disappearances have been reported, while families of victims shot to death by security forces have been compelled to sign statements acknowledging the deaths as “accidental” in order to receive the bodies of their loved ones.

 

This brutality has only succeeded in drawing ever wider layers of the population, and in particular growing sections of the Iraqi working class, into the antigovernment mobilizations. In Baghdad, protesters have succeeded in occupying three strategic bridges over the Tigris River leading into the heavily fortified Green Zone, where government buildings, top officials’ villas, embassies and the offices of military contractors and other foreign agencies are located.
In the south of the country, demonstrators have once again mounted a siege of Iraq’s main Persian Gulf port of Umm Qasr near Basra, reducing its activity by over 50 percent.

 

Oil workers announced Sunday that they were going on a general strike in support of the demonstrators, and columns of workers organized by Iraqi unions poured into Tahrir Square to back the protests. In the southern Shia heartland of Iraq, the teachers unions have led a general strike movement that has shut down most cities.

 

Only in the predominantly Sunni northern areas of Anbar Province and Mosul, which were bombed into rubble during the so-called US war against ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), has the protest movement failed to bring masses into the streets.

 

This is not for any lack of sympathy, but rather the threat of a renewed military offensive against any sign of opposition. Even those in the region who have expressed their solidarity on Facebook have been rounded up by security forces, while the authorities have made it plain that anyone there who opposes the government will be treated as “terrorists” and ISIS sympathizers.
If anything approaching this level of both mass popular revolt and murderous repression were taking place in Russia, China, Venezuela or Iran, one can easily imagine the kind of wall-to-wall coverage they would receive from the corporate media in the US.

 

Yet, the Iraqi events have been virtually ignored by the broadcast networks and the major print media. This is certainly not for lack of popular interest in the country.

After all, some two million US troops, civilian government employees and private contractors went to Iraq between the US invasion of 2003 and the withdrawal of most US troops by the Obama administration in 2011. Some 4,500 US personnel lost their lives there, while tens of thousands more came back wounded and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Within barely three years, the US intervention was renewed with several thousand more American soldiers sent in to retake cities lost by the US-trained and equipped security forces to ISIS.

The reaction of the American mass media is a guilty, shame-faced silence. The events in Iraq are a stark expression of the abject criminality and failure of the entire US imperialist project in that country, so the less said about them the better.

Those who are filling the streets are by and large comprised of a generation formed by the US invasion and occupation, along with the continuing violence that followed.

 

They lived through what the World Socialist Web Site described at the time as an act of “sociocide,” the systematic destruction of an entire society that had before 2003 been one of the most advanced in the Middle East.

 

The estimated death toll from this criminal war, launched on the basis of lies about “weapons of mass destruction,” is over one million, while some two million people remain displaced.

The regime that they are fighting to bring down is the direct product of the US occupation, formed on the basis of a constitution written by US officials. It was fashioned to serve Washington’s divide-and-rule strategy by organizing the puppet political government along sectarian lines, which helped fuel a bloody civil war that had further disastrous consequences.

Iraq’s current Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi is the personification of the bankrupt and corrupt political regime forged by US imperialism. Beginning his career as a member of Iraq’s ruling Ba’athist party under Saddam Hussein, he went on to become a leading member of the Stalinist Iraqi Communist Part and then went into exile in Iran as a loyalist of Ayatollah Khomeini. Brought back to Iraq by US tanks, he joined the puppet government created by US occupation authorities in 2004 as “finance minister.”

He, like his predecessors since 2004, has presided over the looting of Iraq’s oil wealth to enrich foreign capital, the local ruling oligarchy and a layer of corrupt politicians and their hangers-on. Meanwhile, in a country boasting the fifth-largest oil reserves in the world, the official unemployment rate for younger workers in Iraq stands at 25 percent, nearly a quarter of the population is living under conditions of extreme poverty and hundreds of thousands of young people, including many university graduates, attempt to enter the labor market each year to find no jobs.

Ironically, both Washington and Tehran are opposed to the demand of the demonstrators for the downfall of the regime. Both the US and Iran have pursued their respective interests through Mahdi’s administration, even as US imperialism fights to effect regime change in Iran in order to eliminate an obstacle to US hegemony in the oil-rich Middle East.

The US State Department, concerned for the most part in securing the US bases out of which thousands of US troops continue to operate in Iraq, had initially remained silent on the bloody suppression of protesters. Late last month, however, after it was reported that Iran had brokered an agreement between the major Iraqi political parties to support Mahdi’s remaining in power and to suppress the opposition in the streets, Washington began to make noises about respecting the demands of the protesters.

The State Department issued a vague threat of sanctions, naming no one in particular, but indicating that any official cooperating with Iran could be targeted.

 

At the moment, the US has nothing better with which to replace Mahdi and his fellow thieves. They are the best that Washington could find after it toppled Saddam Hussein.

https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/Story/44707/The-bloodbath-in-Baghdad

[yota691]

19-11-2019 03:46 PM

After yesterday's meeting .. National Coalition denies signing any reform paper

 

 

Baghdad - News

The National Coalition denied on Tuesday the signing of any reform paper, stressing that it is considering the option of withdrawing from the entire political process after the coalition for more than a decade has called for reform of the political process, warning that its deviation will eventually harm the country.

The coalition said in a statement that it made several proposals, including the holding of early elections and the enactment of a fair election law and change the Electoral Commission, pointing out that the paper circulated through the media about yesterday's meeting is not commensurate with the seriousness of the stage or the requirements of political reform.

The coalition warned against the continued procrastination of popular demands and the adoption of quotas and corruption, stressing that it has adopted reform proposals and calls for demonstrators since 2005, but successive governments have not responded to these demands, which led to what we are now.

[Butifldrm]

Kidnapped activist Mary Mohammad released in Baghdad

 

Security

 2019/11/19 06:02:07

 

Civic activist Mary Mohammed announced on Tuesday that she was released by the authorities who kidnapped her a few days ago in the federal capital Baghdad.

Mohammed said on her official Instagram page that she was detained for the purpose of the investigation, and was not subjected to any harm, abuse or prejudice.

Mohammed called on the followers not to believe any rumors about them, stressing that they are in good health.

For his part, Mary's brother confirmed in a telephone interview with the agency Twilight News news of the release of the latter.

https://www.shafaaq.com/ar/أمـن/اطلاق-سراح-الناشطة-المختطفة-ماري-محمد-في-بغداد/

[mannie2g]

29 minutes ago, yota691 said:

19-11-2019 03:46 PM

After yesterday's meeting .. National Coalition denies signing any reform paper

 

 

Baghdad - News

The National Coalition denied on Tuesday the signing of any reform paper, stressing that it is considering the option of withdrawing from the entire political process after the coalition for more than a decade has called for reform of the political process, warning that its deviation will eventually harm the country.

The coalition said in a statement that it made several proposals, including the holding of early elections and the enactment of a fair election law and change the Electoral Commission, pointing out that the paper circulated through the media about yesterday's meeting is not commensurate with the seriousness of the stage or the requirements of political reform.

The coalition warned against the continued procrastination of popular demands and the adoption of quotas and corruption, stressing that it has adopted reform proposals and calls for demonstrators since 2005, but successive governments have not responded to these demands, which led to what we are now.

I agree!!

[yota691]

Political blocs give Abdul Mahdi the power to choose ministers by ministerial reshuffle

Political | 04:15 - 19/11/2019

 

 

 

 

BAGHDAD - Mawazine News
, spokesman for the Council of Ministers Saad al-Hadithi, on Tuesday, that the political blocs empowered the President of the Council Adel Abdul Mahdi the power to choose ministers in the reshuffle.
Al-Hadithi said in a television interview followed by (Mawazine News) that "the political blocs authorized the prime minister the power to choose ministers on a professional basis."
He added, "The Prime Minister will soon go to the House of Representatives to put forward his desire for a cabinet reshuffle."

[Butifldrm]

 

2019/11/19 14:17

• The number of readings 62
• Section: Iraq
•  

Ministry of Interior announces the end of the state of alert-c

Baghdad / Obelisk: The Minister of Interior, Yassin al-Yasiri, on Tuesday, November 19, 2019, an order to end the case of 'warning-C', while directing the return to normal.

Al-Yasiri, in a statement received to the obelisk, "return to normal working hours for all units of the headquarters of the ministry, and restore things to normal as of Tuesday, November 19, 2019 and end the state of alert in these units."

According to the statement, "the directives of the minister after the staff of the ministry made great efforts during the past days and work to provide security and service services."

The Ministry of Interior announced a state of alert to employees of the ministry, before the start of the demonstrations on the 25th of last October, in the capital Baghdad and several central and southern provinces.

Follow the obelisk

 

http://almasalah.com/ar/news/182456/الداخلية-تعلن-انهاء-حالة-الانذار-ج

[Butifldrm]

 

2019/11/19 13:11

• The number of readings 62
• Section: Iraq
•  

Government spokesman: Meeting of political blocs positive to accelerate the adoption of reform projects

Prime Minister Saad al-Hadithi said on Tuesday that the government had sought to complete reforms ahead of a meeting of political blocs held late on Monday.

"The government will send a bill" from where you have this "to the parliament," he said in a press statement.

The government spokesman Bass said that "the meeting of political blocs positive to accelerate the adoption of reform projects."

The leaders of the political blocs in a meeting held late on Monday night on Tuesday the government to preserve the structure of the state and its political system and to establish the principle of the peaceful transfer of power and to overcome and collapse a red line.

The meeting called on Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi and the security services to "strengthen security and protect public property and spare the country the abyss of slipping into chaos and the unknown and the state and support the security services in the performance of their duties."

The meeting pledged "that the political blocs commit to authorize the prime minister to choose replacements to take full responsibility for it."

Follow the obelisk

http://almasalah.com/ar/news/182450/متحدث-الحكومة-اجتماع-الكتل-السياسية-إيجابي-لتسريع-إقرار-المشاريع-الإصلاحية

[TinBadge]

Reading through this thread makes me think nothings going to happen with their money anytime soon. I’m thinking it’s time to dump the dinar and put it all in to bitcoin. 

[Butifldrm]

Previous meeting of Ammar al-Hakim archive

 

Behind the scenes of the party meeting in Beit al-Hakim: leaders talked about the "Sahel"

2019-11-19

The solution is Iraq

A number of major political entities participating in the political process announced a 40-item agreement that includes reforms and wide changes at the level of the economy and state administration, the formation of a new electoral commission, early elections, means to fight corruption and other clauses related to demands. Protesters, religious reference recommendations.

The announcement of the agreement came after four meetings last week, the latest of which was on Monday evening, at the home of the leader of the opposition movement "Al- Hikma " # Ammar Al-Hakim .

According to sources, reported by local media, «the first three meetings were only for the leaders of the Shiite blocs (victory, wisdom, conquest, law, and other small blocs), where the terms of the agreement was written, to be presented at the last meeting to the rest of the strength of the components.

The «meetings came on the sermon of the reference and increased momentum # demonstrations , and heated debate and debate on the situation», the sources said.

At the four meetings, the participants discussed everything that would preserve the “order”, and all the demands of the demonstrators and their feasibility were present.

Sources close to the two communities told Al-Iraq al-Iraq that the political meeting was tense and the atmosphere was full of horror. Hakim and al-Amiri talked about the need to maintain order and the political process.

She pointed out that «attendees talked about the anger of the masses and demonstrators in the streets, and some of them talked about the possibility of confronting the angry people, and some of them frightened by the idea of" Sahal. " "This was repeated more than once at the meeting."

He did not attend the last meeting, hired by moving, and the Supreme Council, while I attended all the leaders of the blocks # Sunni , which stipulated the return of all displaced persons in return for agreeing to the terms of the agreement, also attended the meeting of the leaders of a coalition # national and party Kurdish, and two demanding the kind turn not to modify the # Constitution without taking into account the rights of Territory.

The meeting was also attended by the President of the Republic # Barham Saleh , the leader of victory Haider al-Abadi, the leader of the State of Law Nuri al-Maliki, the Secretary of Asaib Qais al-Khazali and the head of the Fatah Alliance Hadi al-Amiri.

The meeting obliged Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, security services and those concerned with “enhancing security, protecting property and screening those who described the engineers and saboteurs who distorted the demonstrations”.

Presented the record "roadmap reform" of five items implemented within a time limit duration of 45 days, Oolھa activate the respective jurisdiction of the Court in the file # corruption and referral of defendants Alیھa immediately and Mhakmtھm whatever Mwaqaھm, the second requiring political forces fully to intervene to stay away in the work of # ministries and institutions Including economic activities.

For his part, the expert and Iraqi political analyst # Hisham_Hashmi that `` the paper of political forces, which was known yesterday paper House Beit al-Hakim, was not invited to one of the representatives of the four most prominent demonstration groups in the Iraqi provinces # that have seen and still demonstrations since the beginning of October 2019, which groups : We want a homeland, coming down taking my right, the Tishreen Revolution, Iraq is rising. ”

He explained through a post placed on his page in the "Facebook" that «this paper will not be practical or containable and calm and will not enable the return of stability».

https://iraq.7al.net/2019/11/19/كواليس-اجتماع-الأحزاب-في-بيت-الحكيم-ال/

[King Bean]

2 hours ago, DoD said:

45 days is to long to start the implementing, they should have given them until the end of the year to have the reforms implemented...IMHO

 

Then, unless my math is that bad, it would only be 43 days. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express recently. 

[horsesoldier]

Don’t recall who said this in DV, seems to ring true—“ They just can’t get out of their own stupid way “

[yota691]

Abadi reveals his own condition on the signing of the agreement of political blocs

In the policy  of November 19, 2019 41 visit

BAGHDAD / SNG - Former Prime Minister and leader of the coalition of Nasr Haider al-Abadi, on Tuesday, on his own condition on the signing of the agreement of political blocs.

Abadi said in a tweet on his account on the social networking site Twitter, `` Our position is consistent and has not changed, and we signed the agreement on the blocks on (November 18, 2019) on the condition of a new government, and we insist on questioning the current government and withdraw confidence and the formation of a new government to hold early elections By a fair election law and an impartial commission . ”

He added, "We are with the people 's rights and the integrity of the state", concluding his Ngridth Bhachtag " not to sell the home."

It is noteworthy that 12 political forces had agreed in a meeting on Monday, decisions and recommendations to demand the demands of the demonstrators and alleviate the crisis, and gave the government headed by Adel Abdul Mahdi only 45 days to implement the promised reforms.

 

[yota691]

Change issued a statement on the meeting of political blocs yesterday

Political | 05:46 - 19/11/2019

 

 

 

 

BAGHDAD - Mawazine News
, the parliamentary bloc of change, on Tuesday, a statement on the meeting of political forces in the Office of the President of the wisdom Ammar al-Hakim yesterday, stressing that it did not sign his statement.
The bloc said in a statement received (Mawazine News) a copy, it "did not participate in the meeting held by some quarters and political blocs on Monday night in the office of al-Hakim."
"We have not seen or signed the statement issued by the said meeting (code of conduct), nor did we authorize or allow anyone to speak on our behalf," she added.

[6ly410]

 

[6ly410]

"Al-Ahd News" is unique to publish "the final text of the agreement of political forces" yesterday evening

By mustafa k 19/11/2019 03:36 PM | Read

http://alahadnews.net/index.php/permalink/188814.html

Photo Archive

Ahd News - Baghdad  

In view of the exceptional circumstances and the extreme complexities witnessed in the country, and guided by the vision of the supreme religious authority, the requirements of national responsibility and the worsening Iraqi reality.

Political leaders - from loyalty and opposition - met to preserve the state, develop the political system, preserve the legitimacy and constitutionality of peaceful demonstrations, and the full citizens' right to do so. They stressed that the protests and the reform movement represent an important shift in Iraq and must be crowned with radical reforms in the fight against corruption and others. Ministerial, service, economic, security, electoral and constitutional correct the paths of the state work, to put it in the natural contexts as a servant state and sponsor and protect the interests of the people, and after detailed discussions on the nature of the stage and its benefits and the danger of slipping into chaos and non-state, Conclusion of the following resolutions and recommendations:

• The highest priority is to inject blood, preserve the lives of citizens, protect their rights and spare them civil war, devastation and destruction that will not exclude anyone.

2. The preservation of the structure of the State and its democratic political system and the consolidation of the principle of the peaceful transfer of power through constitutional mechanisms is the reward at which all meet, overcome and collapse a red line.

The Prime Minister, the security services and the concerned parties should strengthen security and protect public and private property in order to avoid the country from sliding into chaos, uncertainty and non-state.The political forces express their full support to the security services in the performance of their duties in this regard in accordance with the law and the Constitution.

4 • The security and judicial authorities must screen and criminalize the criminal elements who distorted the demonstrations, assaulted lives and property, intimidated citizens, and explicitly identified and held accountable through law and the judiciary.

• While we condemn the use of excessive violence with demonstrators and condemn the fall of a large number of martyrs and wounded demonstrators, the armed forces and the general public, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the competent authorities should identify those involved in the kidnapping of demonstrators and continue the effort to discover those involved in hunting and killing demonstrators and targeting the media during The demonstrations erupted in early October, and disclosed to the public and brought to justice to be punished for the crimes they committed.

6 • The House of Representatives' commitment to the permanent convening, as well as the government to take their full roles in legislating and implementing the demands of citizens at an urgent and high pace within specific time limits and timings that are not subject to procrastination and extension not exceeding the end of this year, ie, not exceeding (45) days. Mr. Prime Minister on the eve of the events of the twenty-fifth of October and inform the people on it.

PROPOSALS AND PRIORITIES:

1- Activating the judicial court concerned with examining corruption files and immediately referring defendants to corruption and prosecuting them regardless of their positions and affiliations in public, issuing fair judicial decisions against them and retrieving the looted funds from them.The political forces are committed to supporting the court's decisions and not covering the corrupt if they belong to it.

2. Commitment of political forces to stay away from interference in the work of ministries and state institutions at all, including economic activities, and to disclose the laggard and hold him accountable to the people.

3. Political forces are obliged to legislate and amend the basic laws to develop the system and achieve the requirements of the people in the House of Representatives, namely:

(A) Amend the electoral law fairly to provide equal opportunities for independent candidates to win, in consultation with the United Nations Mission;

B. Amend the law (the Independent High Electoral Commission) and terminate the work of the current commission and the formation of a new commission independent of parties in consultation with the United Nations Mission.

C - Legislation to abolish all privileges for senior officials, presidencies and special grades, agents, managers and others in order to achieve social justice, and reduce or eliminate the differences between the various government agencies and the settlement of all salaries, including salaries of MPs and other officials and reduce the number of protections.

(E) Legislation of the Construction Council Law.

(F) Amending the Law of the Commission on Integrity to make it competent to corrupt and override public funds.

G - Legislation Act (where did you get this).

(H) Legislation The decisions of the dissolved Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) decisions are considered by the Council of Ministers rather than by force of law.

(I) Legislation of the Council of Ministers and Ministries;

4. Commit the government to implement its promised reform and service steps, provide job opportunities, announce its practical steps, and start implementation within a short period not later than the end of this year (ie 45 days), including the following:

A wide ministerial reshuffle focusing on fair youth competencies and the independence of ministers away from the concepts of quotas. The political blocs are committed to authorize the prime minister to choose replacements to bear full responsibility for it.

B - Review the appointments of special grades approved in the recent period through independent professional committees away from political influence and make sure to avoid political quotas.

(C) The provision of the Social Security Law, including the establishment of a fund to ensure that no Iraqi remains below the poverty line;

D - Submitting the Health Insurance Law.

C - rationalization in government spending is not necessary, especially in the costs of benefits and other similar privileges.

(H) replacing as much foreign labor as possible with Iraqi cards and hands.

(G) Imposing government control over all border crossings and collecting fees due to the public treasury in accordance with the law.

D. Reducing the mandatory and voluntary retirement age.

Y - Obligation of government agencies to buy local product from the private sector or the Iraqi public if available.

T - Submit the law (the protection of freedoms and peaceful demonstration and freedom of information and electronic crime) to the House of Representatives for completion and approval.

5. Political forces are committed to amending the constitution, developing the system, and addressing the problems in the political system within the mechanisms defined by the constitution itself, and to involve unions, unions and specialists in constitutional law and popular and cultural activities in the discussions to amend the constitution.

Political leaders express their full commitment to and follow-up to these steps, and if the House of Representatives or the Government is unable to perform their tasks in the implementation of the aforementioned articles and steps within the aforementioned timings, they are obliged to proceed through their blocs in the House of Representatives to alternative constitutional options to meet the demands of the people through No confidence in the government or early elections.

[6ly410]

Parliamentary: The map of the political forces put forward a solution to the whole crisis

By mustafa k 19/11/2019 04:08 PM | Number Of Hits: 297

 http://alahadnews.net/index.php/permalink/188820.html

 

Ahd News - Baghdad

Al-Fateh MP Amer al-Fayez confirmed that the map of the political forces that was put forward yesterday will satisfy the demonstrators.

Al-Fayez said in an interview with the "Covenant", on Tuesday, that "the outputs of the meeting of political blocs that make up the House of Representatives and the government is a road map if implemented."

He added that "these steps will satisfy a large part of the demonstrators and achieve something for the country if implemented in a timely manner," stressing that "this map is a way to resolve all the crisis."

Edited November 19, 2019 by 6ly410

[6ly410]

 

Home Political Iraq

MP Amer al-Fayez "for the Covenant": the decisions of the meeting of political forces road map to implement the demands of the demonstrators

By Ali 19/11/2019 01:31 PM | Number Of Hits: 2166

http://alahadnews.net/index.php/permalink/188791.html

Ahd News - Baghdad

The MP of the conquest coalition Amer Fayez, that the decisions of the meeting of political forces is a road map to implement the demands of the demonstrators.

"If the results of Monday's meeting of political forces are implemented in time, a large part of the crisis will be resolved," Fayez told Al-Ahd television.  

He added that "quotas are the virus of the political process and turned its page at the current stage," but "there are ministers have been scheduled for questioning within the parliament."

[trident]

Middle East

Iraqi armed forces need to be controlled by the state alone: Prime Minister

Hiwa Shilani |

2 hours ago

 

 

---

Adil Abdul Mahdi, Iraq's Prime Minister, during a speech at the Defense University for Military Studies in Baghdad, Nov.18,2019. (Photo; Kurdistan 24)

 

Iraq Military Constitution

 

 

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq’s Prime Minister on Monday affirmed the country’s constitution is in need of an update and announced that armed security forces should only be under the control of the state.

Iraqi Prime Minister, Adil Abdul Mahdi, during a speech to Iraqi military commanders at Iraq’s Defense University for Military Studies in Baghdad, emphasized the need to develop the security capacities of the country.

The Prime Minister explained that “there was no chance of success for the previous governments – and not even the current government – unless we develop our security capabilities to be able to safekeep the sovereignty and unity of Iraq.”

Amid ongoing unrest and demonstrations in the southern and central provinces of the country, international bodies and other countries have condemned and criticized the use of violence by security forces looking to repress the protests. Among the protesters’ demands are constitutional reforms and the ousting of Iranian influence in Baghdad.     

Abdul Mahdi also stated that “international tensions between the United States and Iran are impacting Iraq’s internal affairs,” noting, however, that Iraq was not basing its foreign policy on the disputes of other countries. “We have always focused on our common interests in dealing with other countries,” he pointed out, linking Iraq’s shared concerns with neighboring countries such as Turkey, Kuwait, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia.

“The government’s action plan is focused on taking necessary steps to ensure that armed authorities and security forces are in the hands of the state,” affirming that his government was working towards achieving this goal. “There is only one Iraq, for the people, despite their political affiliation.”

“We have organized the structure of the Popular Mobilization Unit (PMU) and Peshmerga forces through an executive decision, making them a part of Iraq’s military,” Abdul Mahdi reminded. He also argued Iraq’s Constitution was in need of amending for “certain articles that are inactive and do not apply to the current reality,” stating that the United States’ constitution has been amended 22 times since its creation to reflect the reality on the ground.

Editing by Nadia Riva    

[DoD]

14 minutes ago, trident said:

Middle East

Iraqi armed forces need to be controlled by the state alone: Prime Minister 

Well get rid of your crooked politicians which are also Iranian puppets an you can regain control of your armed forces. These idiots from the top down amazes me how they find their way home from the cafeteria the 2 days a week they go to work...

[3n1]

1 hour ago, DoD said:

amazes me how they find their way home from the cafeteria the 2 days a week they go to work...

 

yup and their house is just a half block down street 

 

1 hour ago, trident said:

Iraqi armed forces need to be controlled by the state alone: Prime Minister

 

not that it matters but a great start would be ousting Hadi al-Ameri , imo he is joined at the hip with Iran 

https://www.counterextremism.com/extremists/hadi-al-amiri

please delete if the link is not appropriate ... cheers dv'ers 

 

[6ly410]

US threatens to sanction Iraq officials over protest deaths

2 hours ago

Lawk Ghafuri

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/19112019

 

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a press conference in Washington on Monday the US will impose sanctions on those found responsible for maiming and killing Iraqi protesters. 

“We support the Iraqi people who strive for a prosperous Iraq free of corruption and Iranian influence,” Pompeo said. “Iraq leaders should respect human rights.”  

“The United State will start to put sanctions on corrupt individuals in Iraq who are stealing Iraq’s wealth and killing and wounding peaceful protesters.”

Protesters first took to the streets of southern and central Iraq on October 1 to demand action on corruption, high unemployment, and the lack of public services.

Following a pause during the Shiite religious observance of Arbaeen, the protests resumed with fresh demands for a new governing system and the resignation of the president, prime minister, and parliamentary speaker.

At least 320 protesters and members of the security forces have been killed since October 1 and around 15,000 wounded. 

The protesters also want Iraq to abandon its parliamentary model and adopt a strong executive presidency.

Several of Iraq’s largest political parties met on Monday evening and agreed to give Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi a “45 days waiver” to make reforms – otherwise he will be ousted from office.

Shiite cleric and Sayirun bloc leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who supports the aims of the protesters, did not participate in the meeting. 

Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the Hikma Front, which considers itself part of the official parliamentary opposition, hosted the meeting at his home in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

In a joint statement, the parties said they want reforms that preserve the state, develop political institutions, and preserve the right to protest peacefully.  

The top priority is to stop the bloodshed, protect the lives of Iraqis, and to insulate them “from a civil war, destruction, and eradication, which will spare no one”, the statement said.

The parties agreed to preserve Iraq’s democracy, to the peaceful transition of power, and further recommended that Abdul-Mahdi and security authorities should preserve law and order to catch “saboteurs” who hide among protesters and to hold all those who have killed protesters or kidnapped them to account.

All recommendations and the demands of the people must be implemented within a period that “does not exceed 45 days”, including reform packages already announced by the PM.  

The government has already announced several measures in a bid to quell the protests, pledging to end corruption, deliver more job opportunities, and to provide welfare support to the poorest. 

The protests have nevertheless continued to rage.

Protesters have begun blocking roads leading to major oil fields and have shut down whole city centers, leaving schools and workplaces empty.

According to AP, protests continued in the southern city of Basra on Tuesday, where dozens of protesters blocked the main entrance to Khor Al-Zubair port – Iraq’s second largest.

Iraq’s biggest port, Umm Qasr port, has also been blocked by protesters repeatedly since the unrest began.

The blockade of oilfields, oil tanker routes, and major ports has crippled the Iraqi economy, draining the country of billions of dollars. In a single week, the blockade at Umm Qasr has cost an estimated $6 billion.