" The Dinar Daily ", Friday, 31 January 2014
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  1. #1

    " The Dinar Daily ", Friday, 31 January 2014

    " EVICT MALIKI " COUNTDOWN : 90 DAYS UNTIL THE ELECTION

    Hakim urges for wide participation in next elections



    Baghdad (AIN ) – The head of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, Ammar al-Hakim, stressed the necessity of conducting the next parliamentary elections on its set date.

    A statement by the SIIC received by AIN cited “Hakim met a delegation from the Ekail Tribe in his office in Baghdad on Thursday,” noting that “Hakim metioned that Iraq’s destiny is related to its variety of communities.”

    “Hakim renewed his support for the Iraqi Army in its war against terrorism,” the statement added, stressing that “Hakim called Iraqis to have a wide participation in the elections to choose the competent nominees who can overcome crisis.”

    https://www.alliraqnews.com/en/index....tical&Itemid=2



  2. #2
    Yasiri: Elections will be held on schedule and has no right to any political party to intervene in this matter

    Baghdad - A member of the State of Law Coalition MP Hassan al-Yassiri said the elections were held as scheduled, and this is set by the Electoral Commission and held on the thirtieth of April and this appointment is an appointment unconstitutional and can not be postponed.

    Yasiri said in a statement to the news agency public opinion (and babysit), on Thursday, said that "the next election will be held on time and has no right to any political party to intervene in this matter as well as they are not authorized to delaying the law and the Constitution are no where any clause to postpone the elections for non-time, noting that even and that the failure of the House of Representatives to pass the budget, the election date will remain the same. "

    In terms of the willingness of Washington to provide Iraq with needed weapons to fight al-Qaida, said al-Yasiri, "The United States of America is serious in providing the Iraqi armed forces with sophisticated weapons and modern face of al-Qaeda and Daash especially in the western provinces because of the security situation if it stayed on this case, it will alert the occurrence of serious security attacks on the region in general.

    https://translate.google.com/translat....com/78275.htm

  3. #3
    01/30/2014 14:53

    Alfalh demanding Najafi obliging united to end boycott of parliament to pass the budget

    Baghdad - and babysit - MP for the coalition of state law on Alfalh, on Thursday, Parliament Speaker Osama Najafi obliging members are united bloc to end boycott of parliament to ensure passage of the federal budget for the current year, accusing the blocks abstaining from attending meetings of trying to obstruct his work in the legislation of laws.

    He Alfalh at a press conference held today, the parliament building and was attended by the correspondent of the news agency public opinion (and babysit), "House of Representatives to raise its for the day due to lack of a quorum after the province are united and the coalition of Kurdish blocs," noting that "the Kurdistan Alliance demanded to postpone reading the budget Federal in 2014 in the previous session of Parliament in order to modify some of the paragraphs calling for some of the blocks modified in line with their interests. "

    He added that "the failure of some of the blocks to attend parliament sessions is a clear attempt to obstruct the work of the Council on legislation important laws, especially as the period has become tight with the approaching elections and the existence of laws affecting the interests of the citizens directly and binding on all the federal budget into law."

    The student Falh Speaker "the need to compel the presence of the mass meetings of Parliament and an end to the province to ensure passage of the budget solution in their desire to serve the citizens," surprising "the continued granting of entitlements MPs boycotted the hearings, although they have submitted their resignations in public."

    https://translate.google.com/translat....com/78275.htm

  4. #4
    Doctor Talabani: President ongoing treatment are natural and health improving

    Alsumaria News / Kirkuk - New doctor of President Jalal Talabani, on Thursday, confirmed that the president's health continues to improve, pointing to the continuation of physical therapy.

    Am I the only one curious about the timing of the introduction of a "new" doctor for the Talabani??

    The supervisor of the treatment Talabani Necmettin cream in a statement received "Alsumaria News", a copy of which, "The president's health improved continuously and told me to convey his greetings to the Iraqi people, especially the people of Kirkuk."

    Why the reference directly to the people of Kirkuk - smells political...

    The governor of Kirkuk, a cream that "the President is a natural treatment are continuously improved continuously and I continually talk with the doctor's sovereignty and the supervisor of the treatment."

    Based on previous reports - this governor has no way to have such information.

    The wife of President Jalal Talabani confirmed, in (January 27 now), that the president's health is stable and are vastly improved, while denied the opposition to hold the Fourth Conference of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

    Also very curious is the attachment of a report from Talabani's wife of his "good health" and a rebuke to the PUK party trying to get their strategy together (without Talabani).

    The satellite response SAT published in the (December 11, 2013) pictures a modern President Jalal Talabani, with his wife, she said she picked him up on the sixth and the eighth of December last, during a visit mentality him in Germany, as announced presidency, improved the health of the President and bypassed the important stages in the journey of treatment, noting that the road to full recovery uniformity.

    I highly doubt such a recovery is anywhere in the near future...

    https://translate.googleusercontent.c...#ixzz2ryGEQX2d

  5. #5
    Kurdish blocs critical of the excesses of the draft budget to the Constitution and laws

    Criticized the Kurdish blocs in a press conference on Thursday, promised to oppose what the vocabulary of the budget in form and substance with the Constitution, and demanded the return of the budget to the Cabinet for review and be bound by the constitutional laws enacted by the federal House of Representatives.

    In the context of the press conference which was attended by all Kurdish blocs in the federal parliament speakers said that "the Federal Court issued a ruling on the region's share of the budget, and pawned any change in the rate of under the results of a census. Therefore any talk about any change in the share of the region is aggravating the situation political and exceeded the benefits of Kurdistan. "

    The speakers criticized the recent amendment to the draft budget, passed by the Cabinet in its last meeting on Tuesday last, where he returned to the provinces oil stake of $ 5 per barrel of oil, but the Cabinet decision marked flop and confusion, where he lifted the roof of the budget on the one hand, and the deficit ceiling of On the other hand, something that needs to be serious consideration.

    The MPs said that the Kurds "delay budget assumes responsibility the government and not any other party, particularly the Kurds, because the draft budget lacks many of the supplies that support the development and ensure equitable distribution of resources."

    They added that "ignoring the fact that the Peshmerga are part of a system of national defense of Iraq and its armed forces is exceeded on the fact that the Peshmerga are protecting nearly 3,000 kilometers from the border with the neighboring countries: Syria, Turkey and Iran. Mention national role, which was commissioned by the Peshmerga on numerous occasions outside the region."

    At the conclusion of the press conference called on Kurdish blocs to push the draft budget for the political pressure being careful Tndejeha to serve the development and prosperity and increase the income of the citizen and to achieve a quantum leap in services. Especially since the budget associated with new business opportunities and salaries of employees and retirees, along with the implementation of new projects. Also raise the issue of the export of oil as the region has come to a narrow political purposes, note that the region did not issue a single barrel of oil so far. "

    https://translate.googleusercontent.c...#ixzz2ryIEtjf0

  6. #6
    Maliki's opponents are growing with increasing crises

    Thu Jan 30 2014 18:51 | (Voice of Iraq)

    Talk | Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | 30.01.2014
    In less than one month, he found Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki boxed set of political crises with the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds, as approved financial budget rejected Kurds, and canceled the powers of the provinces Angered Shiites resolution peaceful demonstrations of the population a year west of the country, which caused the withdrawal of the deputies of the parliament.
    This political crisis coincided with a security crisis, where the faces of the Iraqi army a tough test in Anbar province west of the country where managed "the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Daash) control of the city of Fallujah and parts of the city of Ramadi, investor grumbling Sunni population to the government, which removed the tents of the protesters.

    This crisis was born, all in a short time does not exceed three weeks, and dramatically speculation to coincide with the approach of legislative elections that take place for the third time in the country since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, as it was the first parliamentary elections will take place in the absence of American troops left the country end the year 2011.
    The Maliki broke up a peaceful sit-population year on 30 December (December) the past, resorted demonstrators, most of them members of the tribes to take up arms, as decided 40 deputies prominent Sunni parliament boycott parliament sessions, and put al-Maliki Sunnis and their political representatives in a quandary when it invited them to fight al-Qaeda Before talking about their problems and demands.
    After two weeks of the crisis, particularly in Anbar, January 15 (January), the current Council of Ministers approved the consent of al-Maliki, the budget for fiscal year 2014, and was the most prominent Kurds objectors included them because of lack of funds claimed by the Kurds in two years.

    Have not gone days until the adoption of the budget announced Shiite provinces of oil-producing objection to the Prime Minister because of the abolition of the powers of their provinces under applicable law passed by Parliament and includes the granting of these provinces $ 5 for every barrel of oil produced.
    Article 44 of the provincial law passed in June last emphasizes that the financial resources of each province consists of allocations the federal government, and imports of taxes, fees and fines and allowances of the sale and rental of state funds, in addition to five dollars for each barrel of crude oil produced in any province, and five dollars for each barrel of crude oil refined in refineries province, and five dollars for every 150 cubic meters of natural gas producer in the province.

    Against the backdrop that met eight provinces in January 25 (January) present in the city of Basra, which included representatives of Basra, Maysan, Kirkuk and Wasit and Dhi Qar, Salahuddin and Nineveh and Baghdad, and threw down the gauntlet to the owners and asked him to return their money or take firm action against the government.
    Basra governor says Majed Nasraoui's "Talk" we "will not abandon our mandate and will have oil-producing provinces to cut off oil and organizing sit-ins as popular as we will demand the formation of regions in the absence of the central government's response to us."

    The most feared al-Maliki is forming regions that are seen Iraqis she division of their country and tearing of unity, while not want the prime minister who has ruled Iraq since 8 years and aspires to a third term the formation of regions during the period of his rule because they represent evidence of the failure of the administration of the country, has no mercy history because of that.

    To address all these problems by creating new crises Maliki to escape and accused the Kurds of opposition on the budget, oil smuggling, and embarrassed the Sunni population to fight terrorism, calling on them first before talking about their demands, while Engage Shiite provinces of oil-producing provinces of the decision to form a new inside their towns.

    Says writer and journalist known Iraqi Salwa Zako in a commentary on its front page on facebook "problem-Maliki that he accomplished in the industry crisis, but what is so devised that it shall manufacture a new crisis to get out of the first."

    To meet the objection Kurds on the budget, accused the federal government through the Ministry of Oil, the Kurdistan region of smuggling oil, also threatened the government, Turkey to establish a lawsuit against the government and the District of Turkish companies operating in the country to receive the acceptance of oil exported from the region.
    Shiite provinces of oil-producing and threats formation regions and cut oil replied Maliki to form the provinces of New within the provinces objecting to his policies, most notably Basra, Nasiriyah, Kut, also decided to make the Muflojh Sunni province independent of Anbar, and the formation of two provinces in Mosul and Salahuddin are Afar and Tuz.

    The decision to form the provinces soon led to disagreements within each province, where some residents found support for the idea and others rejected.

    In total these provinces experiencing internal disagreements today dominated the discussions of local officials more than claim their right and their powers.

    Says the governor of Nineveh Ethel Nujaifi for "discussion" that "the best description of the political situation in the past four years is the year the birth of the crisis that brought the country to more than once to the brink of civil war, can no longer people endure more crises with the absence of a clear strategy brings hope to the hearts of people. "

    With this vast amount of political and security crises, administrative and synchronized with the approach of parliamentary elections in the country scheduled to be held in April (next April), the conduct of these elections seems difficult, Maliki Courier strongly for a third term puts in his calculations painful loss suffered in provincial elections which took place eight months ago and is well aware that he needed to time to increase his popularity and he needs to realize that to postpone the elections.

    Says Sadrist MP Hussein al-Mansouri's "Talk" that "al-Maliki provokes and creates a crisis when approaching each election gains and personal interests behind it."


    It is expected al-Maliki said the reactions of his opponents and he knows that the front of his opponents this time stronger than before, it includes Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.

    https://translate.googleusercontent.c...#ixzz2ryIlfqTW

  7. #7
    As Iraq Polls Near, Deputy Speaker Warns Against Kurdish Divisions in Kirkuk

    By RUDAW



    KIRKUK - Iraq’s parliamentary election in April will do nothing to assuage Shiite-Sunni bloodshed, the assembly’s deputy speaker Arif Tayfur said, predicting the rise of some radical Sunni MPs and warning the Kurds against continued divisions in Kirkuk.

    Experts have already predicted dramatic changes in the Iraqi political map after the polls, which will take place against a backdrop of extreme tensions between the country’s Shiite-led government and the large and disgruntled Sunni minority.

    Following his speech at the European Council in Brussels a week ago, Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani told Rudaw: “There will be many changes in Iraq and Kurdistan after the elections of this year.”

    Tayfur said that, due to divisions in the Sunni and Shiite camps, a clear victory by either is unclear.

    “The Shiites are divided into several factions, and so are the Sunnis. But after the elections they will unite, and sectarianism will rise again,” he said. “There is not much hope for change. However, the Sunni participation will be high in the elections and some radical candidates might win seats,” Tayfur added.

    The Iraqi death toll for January has topped 900, the worst since 2008, without an end in sight to the largely sectarian bloodshed.

    Tayfur also warned that divisions between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) could translate into a beating at the polls in Kirkuk, which he has represented in parliament for the past two terms. The two parties are running separately, not as a unified Kurdish front.

    Running separately in the past, between them the two parties managed to win only six seats in Kirkuk. The Arabs and Turkmen, who ran together before but are running separately this time, also managed to win six seats in the previous polls.

    “Failure to run on a unified list will turn out very badly for the Kurds,” Tayfur predicted. “But if the Kurdish voter turnout is high, then it will compensate for the existing party divisions,” he said.

    Winning in energy-rich Kirkuk, large tracts of which fall under the so-called “disputed territories” claimed by both Iraq’s Arabs and Kurds, is essential for both the Kurds and Arabs. The Kurds see Kirkuk as the jewel in the crown of a future state. The Arabs want it for its huge oil and gas reserves.

    “If the Kurds nominate qualified candidates, then I am sure that they will win six or seven seats. But unqualified and incompetent candidates will create very bad results,” Tayfur warned.

    This time round, Tayfur is not being nominated to run from Kirkuk by his party, the KDP. He has faced criticism in Kirkuk for not visiting the city even once during his tenure.

    Tayfur denied neglecting Kirkuk. He said his office there had sufficiently carried out its duties, and that he has done more for the people of Kirkuk by raising awareness about the Kurdish population’s demands.

    “We have increased awareness abroad about the situation in Kirkuk. We have sent the maps of Kirkuk and the disputed regions to President Obama in Washington DC. Also, during our meetings with foreign ambassadors, we confirmed the demands of the Kurdish people of Kirkuk,” he said.

    He blamed Arab blocs in Baghdad for the failure to implement resolutions about the disputed territories, including Kirkuk. Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, which was to be implemented by December 2007 but still remains on the backburner, spells out steps to be taken to resolve ownership of the disputed territories.

    “The majority of the parliamentary blocs, especially the chauvinist Arab blocs, are against the implementation of this article. We will continue on our path until we achieve the hope of all the people of Kirkuk and the Kurds. Nevertheless, the obstacles are numerous,” Tayfur said.

    A bill introduced by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, to normalize the administrative borders of the disputed areas, also remains nearly forgotten.

    “The bill has been approved and sent to the presidency, but Osama al-Nujaifi, the speaker of the house, has halted it,” Tayfur said.

    See more at: https://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/3....DFOFVFPn.dpuf

  8. #8
    Kurdistan, UNHCR Working on Housing for Anbar Refugees

    By Judit Neurink



    ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan are working to prepare special camps for the refugees that fled from Anbar province to Kurdistan. Tourists coming in during the Kurdish New Year will send them out of their present accommodation.

    Fighting in Fallujah and Ramadi has displaced as many as 140,000 people, according to figures by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). They spread themselves over Iraq, some staying elsewhere in Anbar, others fleeing to Baghdad, Karbala, Salahaddin, Nineveh and Iraqi Kurdistan.

    The over 14,000 who came to Iraqi Kurdistan have moved mainly into motels and holiday housing in Kurdish holiday towns like Shaqlawa, often living three-families to one small apartment.

    When March comes and tourists flock to the holiday places for Nowruz, there will be a big problem, predicts Inge Colijn, who heads UNHCR operations in Iraqi Kurdistan. With the holidaymakers coming in, the prices of accommodations will most definitely rise.

    Therefore, the Erbil authorities have asked UNHCR to prepare a camp for these internally displaced people (IDP). The transit camp at Baharka, which was used for Syrian refugees, has been refurbished to host people arriving from Anbar. Tents, electricity and sanitation facilities have been installed. The camp is ready to accommodate up to 300 families, should the government decide to open it.

    In Sulaimani there was a similar request, and a wall has been erected in Arbat camp, that houses Syrian refugees, to accommodate Iraqi IDPs. There are some 300 displaced families in Sulaimani.

    The Kurdistan government has denied earlier reports about preparing camps for the Iraqi IDPs, stating that it expects them to be gone within three months. UNHCR also does not prefer establishing camps for IDPs, as it may prolong their displacement. But if the government asks the organization to prepare camps, it will do so.

    “The Kurdish authorities do not have any policy for IDPs living in urban areas,” Colijn points out. Many of the internally displaced from Anbar that came to Kurdistan are government officials, who have applied to Baghdad for assistance in paying their rents.

    Because of the high costs of housing, some families have already moved out of Kurdistan, mainly to the city of Kirkuk outside the Kurdistan Region.

    At the same time, the Kurdish authorities have to cope with a new influx of Syrian refugees. According to UNHCR, about 7,000 Syrian Kurds have crossed the border near Peskhabour in January, and several hundreds arrive daily. Iraqi Kurdistan already houses some 212,000 Syrians, about 30 percent of them in camps.

    The opening of the border this time has been much more controlled than last August, when tens of thousands of Syrian Kurds crossed in a matter of days. According to Colijn, this time there is some coordination between the two sides of the border – the border posts controlled by the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and those controlled by the Kurdistan Region.

    Refugees are only let in if they are from a conflict area, or if there are humanitarian reasons. Many of them are from the areas around Aleppo, says Colijn, where fighting continues. Because Syrian Kurds also come in to visit relatives or buy goods, there is active cross-border traffic.

    Those Syrians who do not want to stay as refugees can remain for up to seven days or approach the authorities to legalize longer-term stay. These people are given basic assistance before being moved to the Gawilan refugee camp by the International Organization for Migration.

    Other recent arrivals have arranged their own transportation to Erbil and Sulaimani to join families, while some proceed to Zakho and Duhok. Colijn has noticed the public support for refugees in Kurdistan is gradually decreasing. “There was a lot of goodwill when the big numbers came in.

    Some of the food that was brought in then is still being distributed. But now, we have the impression that people clean their cupboards and bring whatever they do not want to the refugees.” This means goods are brought that the refugees do not want, or that are not up to the quality standards.

    On the other hand, more organizations have come in to help, international as well as local, professional as well as volunteers. “Some come in with a truck and hand out goods. It is difficult to control.”

    Apart from the problem that all these organizations have different criteria about who should be reached, the way they work also means almost the same group of refugees is reached the whole time, Colijn points out.

    UNHCR is meeting different organizations to try to agree on common criteria for the aid. “For instance in Kawargosk camp, water coolers were distributed. They went mainly to families at the front of the camp. The elderly and vulnerable did not get them.”

    https://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/3....ecN9545g.dpuf

  9. #9
    Baghdad, Erbil continue their struggle for authority




    What are the prospects of a permanent solution for governing relations between the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government in Baghdad? This is a question without an answer in Baghdad or Erbil. With each successive crisis, the two sides exchange accusations and threats, which are followed by conciliation based on the principle of postponing the crisis instead of finding solutions to it.

    The fact is that serious disputes have always erupted between the KRG and Baghdad during the adoption of yearly budgets. Each time, the dispute has revolved around the province’s share of the budget, customs duties, financing of the Peshmerga, petroleum contracts and other issues.

    The 2014 budget has raised similar disagreements, which are not expected to be resolved for weeks to come. This time around, however, the exporting of Kurdistan region oil through Turkey sits at the top of the agenda of differences.

    Without going into great detail about the respective viewpoints vis-a-vis the crisis, suffice it to say that the central problem of the tense relationship between Erbil and Baghdad is their diverging interpretations of the constitution. No lasting solution to their disagreements can therefore be expected before resolution on the matter of interpretation, in particular the article concerning the relationship between federal authorities and the provinces.

    From Baghdad's perspective, Iraqi Kurdistan has trampled on the powers of the federal government laid out in the constitution, especially those relating to the powers of federal security agencies, the army, petroleum policy, agreements and other matters. Meanwhile, the KRG claims that Baghdad is seeking to strip the province of its constitutional powers in regard to these same issues.

    The KRG's interpretation is based on the assertion that the Iraqi constitution revolves around the principle of a decentralized state, whereby the provinces and regions have more powers than the federal government. On the other hand, the Baghdad government’s interpretation is based on the existence of a central authority whose powers supersede those of the provinces and regions. The constitution itself contributes to this dichotomy by leaving pivotal issues, such as the powers of each authority, subject to interpretation and thus diverging viewpoints.

    Political maneuverings since the 2005 adoption of the constitution until now have exacerbated the interpretational crisis. Two different parliaments failed to pass a series of laws considered necessary for clarifying the various powers and authorities. This is particularly true of laws pertaining to the petroleum and gas industries, the federal council and laws regulating the functions of the security forces and the army.

    The clashing interpretations will remain a flash point that threatens the relationship between the federal authority and Iraq's provinces. In truth, this issue threatens the very structure, unity and security of the Iraqi state, if the conflicting interpretations are generalized to all Iraqi crises.

    The never-ending discussions between Baghdad and Erbil have, for the most part, focused on diffusing their crises by finding temporary compromises. This has been the case over the years and appears set to remain that way with the 2014 budget and the ongoing disagreement over the KRG's export of oil. These discussions will not address any solutions having to do with systematizing constitutional interpretations or passing pending laws, without which reaching permanent solutions are impossible.

    Mustafa al-Kadhimi is an Iraqi writer specializing in the defense of democracy and human rights. He has extensive experience documenting testimonies and archiving documentaries associated with repressive practices.

    Read more: https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/orig...#ixzz2ryMJYm7L

  10. #10
    Iraqis divided over new national anthem




    Given that the Iraqi parliament has not agreed on a new national anthem, Adel Najman, an Iraqi musician living in Australia, decided to compose music for the poem “Salam Ala Hadabat al-Iraq” ("Peace on the Hills of Iraq") by the late poet Muhammad Mahdi al-Jawahiri. It's one of the three poems that have been competing for the national anthem for years in the Iraqi parliament.

    Najman told Al-Monitor by phone from Australia: “After the [political] dispute impeded the selection of a national anthem, I decided not to wait any longer and I started composing music for Jawahiri’s poem. We performed it with a group of Iraqi guys in Australia, while a foreign band played the music. Then, we presented it to the Iraqi Embassy in Canberra.”

    Najman confirmed that he did not refer to any official party when he chose this poem to be the national anthem. Then, he took the initiative to compose music for the poem and published it online.

    “I liked the words of the poem because it talks about peace, which is what we need to restore Iraq to its normal situation,” he explained.

    This emigrant musician’s decision to compose an anthem has made many Iraqis wonder why the political leaders have not succeeded in making the necessary shifts to new national symbols, although more than a decade has passed since the fall of the dictatorship. National symbols such as the flag and the national anthem top the list, alongside other laws that should be ratified to achieve the transition to democracy.

    After the use of the former anthem “Ard al-Rafidin” ("Mesopotamia") was suspended, the anthem “Mawtini” ("My Homeland") was temporarily used until 2003, awaiting a substitute that gets the parliament’s approval. The last parliamentary term did not produce an agreement, and the current one, which is almost over, has not settled the political disagreements. These disputes led to the cancelation of the last agreement that was within reach when the draft law for the national anthem was proposed last summer.

    It is obvious that the disputes, which need time to be resolved, are mostly sectarian in nature. However, the approval of the national anthem is related to the consensus about how to contain national representation in Iraq. The essential point of dispute is that non-Arab components are asking that the national anthem include verses in their own languages.

    Kurdistan Alliance member of parliament Hamid Bafi told Al-Monitor, “Parties that do not believe in change impeded the approval of the national anthem, although the Iraqi constitution is clear on this point.

    “Toward the end of the former regime's era, a philosophy stating that Iraq is the land of one nationalist affiliation and one leader was in place. This has changed today, as the constitution indicates that Iraq is pluralistic in terms of nationalist affiliations, sects and confessions. The constitution also emphasizes the importance of mentioning all these components in the national anthem and the flag. Yet, some parties still insist on a strict centralized system, thus hampering the laws that grant the Iraqi citizen his rights and freedoms.”

    According to Article 12 of the constitution, “The flag, national anthem and emblem of Iraq shall be fixed by law in a way that represents the components of the Iraqi people.”

    State of Law Coalition parliament member Hassan al-Yassiri blamed the suspension of the national anthem project on “a misinterpretation of the relevant constitutional article.”

    Yassiri told Al-Monitor, “The council was about to vote in favor of the anthem, but a dispute between the Kurdish Alliance MPs and the MPs of other blocs occurred regarding drafting some verses of the national anthem in Kurdish. The dispute pushed the representatives of the Turkmen to ask for the addition of verses in their language, too.”

    Yassiri, who used to occupy the position of adviser to the Constitution Drafting Committee, explained, “The constitutional requirement for the anthem to symbolically unite all components of the Iraqi people does not mean using their language. There is a huge difference between the national anthem and the official language. Some are mixing both. They think that the anthem is not national unless it is written in several languages.”

    He also noted that the anthem is supposed to reflect the inclinations of Iraqi society and indicate variety through mentioning the country’s cultures and varied geographical features. “We find this in the three nominated poems,” Yassiri added.

    The blunder in not agreeing on the basics reflects, in essence, the inability of the lawmakers in Iraq to set the details that the government needs in its transition from a dictatorship to a democracy.

    There are no indications that show it is possible to determine the national symbols before April 2014. This is what is abnormal about the situation, knowing that in April the current parliamentary term ends. This means that the temporary national symbols will stand their ground, although a lot of time has passed since the change in Iraq.

    https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/rend...#ixzz2ryN4Id9w

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