An expert shows the economic damage that exhausted the people during the Al-Kazemi government

Information/special. Today, economist Nabil Al-Tamimi highlighted the economic damage that affected the Iraqi people during the caretaker government, while stressing that the current government’s spending amounted to more than 145 trillion dinars.

Al-Tamimi said in an interview with the Information Agency, that “the current government, despite its constitutional description as a caretaker government, has broad and great powers, including spending powers according to Financial Management Law No. 6 of 2019, which authorized the government to spend equivalent to what it spent in the past year (ie. up to 120 trillion dinars during this year) in addition to the legislation of the emergency support law, which authorized it to spend another 25 trillion dinars,” noting that “the volume of spending represents a large number, and may exceed 145 trillion dinars during this year only.”

And he added, “The general economic situation witnessed economic shocks that faced the Iraqi individual in the period 2020-2022, which contributed to raising poverty levels to approximately 31%.”

And the economic expert explained, “A large segment of citizens was affected during the period of the spread of the Corona pandemic due to social restrictions, the ban had caused those outside the functional environment to accumulate debts and economic damage,” noting that they “suffered for a longer period after the end of these restrictions without there being government responsibility. towards those segments as is the case in the rest of the world.”

And he indicated that “that segment was damaged again when the government and the Central Bank of Iraq imposed a change in the exchange rate of the dollar against the dinar, which contributed to the rise in price inflation by 18%, which put pressure on the entry of those weak and fragile segments.”

He pointed out that “the global monetary easing policies produced global price inflation prior to the European-Russian-Ukrainian crisis, which was referred to by international organizations such as the FAO and the World Food Programme, which caused an increase in the suffering of the poor and middle segments inside Iraq.”

During the period of the caretaker government, the Iraqi people suffered from the wrong economic policies that it had adopted in its government program, the “white paper”, including raising the dollar exchange rate on society.

Almaalomah.me

Parliamentary direction to gradually restore the dollar exchange rate…

Shafaq News / A number of members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives demanded the inclusion of the voting paragraph on restoring the exchange rate of the US dollar against the Iraqi dinar to its previous official rate.

A member of the Parliamentary Integrity Committee, Hamid Al-Shiblawi, said, according to an official document obtained by Shafak News Agency, entitled “Reducing the dollar exchange rate”, that “due to the repercussions of the rise in the exchange rate of the dollar against the dinar, which negatively affected the economic situation of the Iraqi family, which burdened the citizen.” Especially those with low incomes. We, members of the attached list, ask the Presidency of the House of Representatives to include a paragraph to reduce the dollar exchange rate and gradually return it to the previous exchange rate within the work schedule of the next session in the public interest.

The list showed the signatures of 40 deputies so far.

It is noteworthy that the Central Bank of Iraq, on December 19, 2020, officially announced the amendment of the foreign currency exchange rate (the US dollar) to be 1450 dinars, instead of 1200 dinars, for every 100 dollars, according to the state’s general budget for the year 2021 approved by the House of Representatives. .

As a result, according to specialists, the annual inflation in Iraq has risen significantly, so that all prices of materials and goods in the Iraqi market have risen significantly, which has sparked a wave of strong resentment among the popular circles, as well as the objections of some interested in economic affairs.

Shafaq.com

A “significant and sudden” drop in the dollar exchange rates in Baghdad

Shafaq News / The exchange rates of the US dollar against the Iraqi dinar fell “significantly and surprisingly” today, Monday, in the main stock exchange in the capital, Baghdad, while it witnessed stability in the Kurdistan Region.

Shafaq News Agency correspondent said that the central Al-Kifah and Al-Harithiya stock exchanges in Baghdad recorded this morning, an exchange rate of 146350 Iraqi dinars for every 100 US dollars, while the prices on Sunday were 146700 Iraqi dinars against 100 US dollars, indicating that the dollar exchange rate witnessed A drop of about 400 dinars within hours in a new price that seems surprising to currency customers.

Our correspondent indicated that the buying and selling prices decreased in the banking shops in the local markets in Baghdad, where the selling price reached 147000 dinars per 100 dollars, while the purchase prices amounted to 146000 dinars.

In Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, dollar prices have witnessed stability, with the selling price reaching 147,100 dinars per $100, and the purchase price reaching 147,000 dinars.

Shafaq.com

Deputy: An upcoming parliamentary hosting of the Governor of the Central Bank and the Minister of Finance regarding the reduction of the exchange rate

Baghdad – Mawazine News: The representative of the Sadiqoon bloc, Suhaila Al-Sultani, announced today, Monday, the hosting of the Governor of the Central Bank and the Minister of Finance in order to reduce the exchange rate of the dollar against the Iraqi dinar.

Al-Sultani said, according to the media of her bloc, that “the signatures of more than 50 deputies were collected to host the governor of the Central Bank and the Minister of Finance in the new government in order to put pressure on reducing the exchange rate, even if it was in stages or gradually.”

She added, “The exchange rate must be reduced due to the difficult standard of living that the Iraqi people are experiencing now and the high rate of poverty,” stressing that “the representatives who signed the exchange rate cut will present a successful financial policy on which global policies are based.”

And she added, “All deputies and political blocs are determined to reduce the exchange rate, and the number of deputies who signed will increase in the coming days.”
A number of deputies had announced, earlier today, the collection of parliamentary signatures from all political blocs in order to work to reduce the exchange rate of the dollar. Raising the price of the dollar in a year. Ended 29 / h

Mawazin.net

Corruption scandals open the gates of hell to the outgoing government

Information / Baghdad… After one of the elements of the team involved in stealing tax funds that exceeded 3.7 trillion dinars was arrested, and some sources indicated that the arrested person, Nour Zuhair Ali, had a relationship with the outgoing Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi, which raised his voice loudly To hold all parties in the outgoing government to account who are proven to be involved in corruption.

The representative of the Al-Fateh Alliance, Rafiq Al-Salihi, told Al-Maalouma, “The House of Representatives will present evidence of accusation against the caretaker Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, and some ministers, on charges of wasting and stealing public money, especially as it bears responsibility for the aggravation of the situation in the country as a result of the spread of corruption and its high rates.”

On the other hand, a member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Sajjad Salem, told Al-Maalouma, “Special committees from the Financial Supervision Bureau and the Parliamentary Integrity, Finance and Labor Commission were formed to detect those involved in the tax theft scandal, as the stolen money will return to the central treasury after completing Procedures in the competent international courts.

On the other hand, political analyst Muayyad Al-Ali said, during his interview with “Al-Maalouma”, that other thefts will appear successively after exposing the theft of tax deposits, pointing out that the Al-Kazemi government carried out another theft operation by accompanying the Investment Authority granting a license to an Emirati company that represents a front for companies. Zionism, as this company acquired a thousand dunams from the Al-Kazemi government in the approaches to Baghdad Airport to build a golf course.”

Almaalomah.me

Iraq: What after the election of the President of the Republic?

More than a year after the early elections that took place on the tenth of October 2021, the knot of the President of the Republic was untied at the last moment, the knot created by the insistence of the Kurdistan Democratic Parties and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, on their candidates for the post of President of the Republic, where the Democratic Party agreed with an alliance Some parties to the “State Administration” have withdrawn his candidate in exchange for supporting the candidacy of Dr. Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, although the latter is already a leader in the National Union, and he had previously been a chronic minister of the Ministry of Water Resources, a candidate for the Union in the interim government formed by Iyad Allawi in the year 2004, then in the transitional government formed by Ibrahim al-Jaafari in 2005, then in the first government of Nuri al-Maliki in 2006, but this time he ran as an independent and was not the party’s official candidate.

But undoing this knot had a moral price this time as well; The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan was an ally of the coordination framework during the past year, and even its candidate, Dr. Barham Salih, President of the Republic, was the one who submitted a request to interpret Article 70 / first of the constitution to the Federal Court, a request that allowed the coordination framework to obtain an interpretation from the Federal Court that it be a quorum The election of the President of the Republic two-thirds, which allowed the coordination framework to guarantee the blocking third, which impeded the project of the Sadrist movement’s alliance to form his government with his allies in “Save the Homeland”, and then practically led to the resignation of the Sadrist movement’s representatives from Parliament, but some parties to the coordination framework “abandoned” their ally The former and his candidate in order to pass their candidate for the post of Prime Minister!

This scenario was a repetition of the scenario of 2018, as there was an agreement between the Al-Binaa Alliance and the Kurdistan Democratic Party to support their candidate Fouad Hussein for the post of President of the Republic, but “parties” in the Al-Bina Alliance, specifically the State of Law, Asa’ib and the Sunni Identities Alliance, turned against this agreement and voted for a candidate. National Union Barham Salih then!
The irony here is that the “state administration” coalition announced on September 26th included the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which in practice means that the two parties signed an alliance without discussing the issue of the presidency!

This alone explains the tweet written by Bafel Talabani, Secretary-General of the National Union, one day before the presidential election session, in which he seemed to rely not on the agreed commitments, or the document signed, as he supposed, but on the commitment of the “believers” from the allies. Assumed in the coordinating framework! And when the leader of a party that describes himself as a center-left and a socialist democrat, “concerns” to the faith and the believers, the reader has to imagine the nature of political action in Iraq!

Political alliances in Iraq are pragmatic alliances related to the direct interest that “assumes” those who sign, through verbal agreements without any clear and specific commitment, or guarantor documents, and they are alliances that have no traditions or customs

In the first round, in which whoever gets two-thirds of the votes (220 votes) is supposed to win, candidate Abdel Latif Rashid managed to get 156 votes, compared to 99 votes for Barham Salih, which necessitated a second round of voting in which Abdel Latif received 162 votes. In exchange for 99 for Barham Salih. This result first reveals the nature of the division within the “state administration” alliance itself!

This confirms the arbitrariness of the “alliance document”, which is supposed to define the nature of the alliance, and the nature of the mutual obligations between the allies! This confirms what we said in last week’s article that political alliances in Iraq are pragmatic alliances related to the direct interest that “assumes” those who sign, through verbal agreements without any clear and specific commitment, or guarantor documents, and that they are alliances that have no traditions or customs!

The most important question here is what is the position of the Sadrist movement on everything that is going on, and what are the consequences of this “silence” on passing a ministry dominated by the framework, rather dominated by the framework hawks from the advocates of “tightening the screw until the last tooth” with the Sadrist movement?
Especially since the briefing of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Iraq to the Security Council on 4 October, and the statements issued by the ambassadors of Western countries in Iraq (the ambassadors of the United States of America, Britain and France) have made it clear, beyond any doubt, that they are with the speedy formation of the government, and accordingly The Coordination Framework Government will have international legitimacy that will increase the limitations of the Sadrist movement’s options!

In fact, the Sadrist movement will have only two options. The first is to accept indirect negotiations with the Prime Minister-designate, allowing him to retain his power centers in the executive authority, and perhaps obtain ministries by nominating personalities close to the Sadrists, who are not organically linked to him, as happened in the Ministry of Adel Abdul Mahdi in 2018. Thus, it reduces the ability of the framework hawks to implement their agenda. It also gives itself the opportunity to influence two crucial issues, namely changing or amending the Parliament’s election law, and forming a new election commission, in light of the framework’s absolute dominance over the Parliament!

The second option is to continue the policy of rejecting any direct or indirect negotiations with the “corrupt liars and deceivers,” as the Sadr Minister wrote one day before the presidential election session, and thus using the street to undermine the framework government, with the potential violence that may result from that. Which is an option that refers to the reproduction of the scenario of 2019 with the government of Adel Abdul-Mahdi!

Both options confirm that the Sadrist movement is sucking the results of its involvement in impromptu and unthoughtful decisions and will have to adapt to their consequences for a long time, and perhaps among these consequences is a return once again to the Iranian umbrella, which has proven that it is still the sole actor in what is haphazardly called “Iraqi politics”!

Rawabetcenter.com

The United Nations and the Arab Parliament congratulate the election of a president for Iraq and the assignment of Al-Sudani and Rashid pledges

Shafaq News / The United Nations mission in Iraq and the Arab Parliament congratulated, on Friday, the election of Abdul Latif Rashid as President of the Republic, and Muhammad Shia for assigning him to form the government.

According to a statement received by Shafak News Agency, the Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Adel bin Abdul Rahman Al-Asumi, wished the Iraqi president and his prime minister success in their mission.

Al-Soumi called on all political forces in Iraq to “cooperate and provide support to Rashid and Al-Sudani, to maintain the country’s stability, in these delicate moments that it is going through, in order to achieve national consensus.”

In addition, the head of the United Nations mission in Iraq, Jeanine Plasschaert, expected that the formation of the government headed by Muhammad Shiaa al-Sudani would pave the way for a government program that addresses urgent issues in the country.

Plasschaert congratulated the Sudanese, according to a statement received by the agency, on “the occasion of his assignment to form the new ministerial cabinet,” noting that she hopes and expects that “the formation of the government will pave the way for a government program that addresses Iraq’s long list of urgent and pending issues and meets the needs of the Iraqi people,” stressing that it is looking forward to Working with the new government.

In the meantime, the Iraqi President, Abdul Latif Rashid, extended his sincere thanks to the representatives of the people (Parliament) and all political forces; to give him their trust.

Rashid pledged, in a tweet he posted on his personal account on Twitter, to “work hard to protect the constitution, the sovereignty of the country and the interests of the people, and to be the president of all Iraqis without discrimination.”

Yesterday, Thursday, the Iraqi Council of Representatives succeeded in electing the new President of the Republic, Abdul Latif Rashid, in the second round of voting, after one of the candidates did not receive the votes of two-thirds of the representatives, as stipulated in the Iraqi constitution.

The elected President of the Republic, Abdel Latif Rashid, the candidate of the largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament, Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, commissioned the formation of the new government.

The election of the President of the Republic and the assignment of the Prime Minister comes a year after the early elections were held on the tenth of October 2021, but the political blocs were unable to elect the President of the Republic, who in turn assigns the candidate of the largest parliamentary blocs to form the government.

shafaq.com

Iraq’s former leader Nouri Al Maliki appears before judge over contested audio leaks

• The ex-prime minister says recordings in which he appears to make accusations against rival Moqtada Al Sadr are fake

Former Iraq prime minister Nouri Al Maliki appeared before a judge in Baghdad on Tuesday over leaked audio recordings in which he seems to insult his powerful rival, Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, and plots to arm a militia group.

The audio tapes — the authenticity of which is contested — were leaked in early July by US-based blogger and activist Ali Al Fadhil amid rising tension among political rivals over forming a new government.

Mr Al Maliki says the audio is fake.

In September, politicians linked to Mr Al Sadr filed the legal action against Mr Al Maliki, who was Iraq’s prime minister between 2006 and 2014.

Senior Sadrist member Jaafar Al Mousawi said the investigative judge registered Mr Al Maliki’s statements and ordered his release on bail.

If charges are brought, the judge would then set a date for the trial, Mr Al Mousawi said.

Husham Al Rikabi, who runs Mr Al Maliki’s media office, confirmed that he was at a Baghdad court on Tuesday, giving no other details.

There was no immediate comment from the Iraqi Judiciary Council.

The tapes feature a meeting between someone said to be Mr Al Maliki and representatives of a Shiite militia. The date and whereabouts of the meeting is unknown.

In the audio, the person said to be Mr Al Maliki appears to accuse Mr Al Sadr of kidnappings and murder campaigns after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, mainly during sectarian warfare in 2006 and 2007.

In the recording, the voice attributed to Mr Al Maliki also seems to claim Mr Al Sadr is backed by foreign powers who want to drive a wedge among Shiites who ascended to power after 2003 and expresses readiness to fight Mr Al Sadr.

He describes the government-sanctioned Popular Mobilisation Forces — a largely Iran-backed militia force — as “cowards”, accusing their senior leaders of corruption.

At one point, he urges representatives of the militia group to align with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, a branch of Iran’s armed forces, and promised to arm them.

In September, the head of the Sadrist bloc, Nassar Al Rubaie, asked authorities to issue an arrest warrant and travel ban against Mr Al Maliki, accusing him of threatening peace and security in the country.

He also accused Mr Al Maliki of seeking to cause sedition and sectarian fighting in the country.

After serving two terms as prime minister up to 2014, Mr Al Maliki sought a third term. But he was forced out from office as ISIS swept through northern and western Iraq, amid a collapse in security.

Bitter feuding between Mr Al Sadr and Mr Al Maliki is one of the main reasons behind the deadlock in forming a new Iraqi government.

Mr Al Sadr, who emerged a clear winner in October 2021 elections with 73 seats out of 329 seats, but required coalition partners to form a government.

He sought to sideline Mr Al Maliki’s State of Law coalition that won more than 30 seats.

The enmity between the two men dates to 2008, when Mr Al Maliki launched a military operation against Al Sadr’s Mahdi Army militia.

Thenationalnews.com

Western opinion: a “fatal” political blow to Al-Sadr in Iraq

Shafaq News / The American newspaper “Washington Post” sheds light on the Iraqi issue, in light of the election of the Iraqi parliament as a new president who immediately ordered the formation of a government, after a full year of political paralysis in the country after the parliamentary elections last October.

This came after Abdul Latif Rashid, a veteran Kurdish politician and former water minister, won the second round of voting for outgoing President Barham Salih. He quickly appointed Muhammad al-Sudani as prime minister, giving him 30 days to form a government.

Al-Sudani, 52, is part of the largest Shiite bloc in parliament and is a close ally of former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

The newspaper said that Iraq has been witnessing a political crisis since last year, amid hostility between the Sadrist movement, led by prominent cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, and the “Coordination Framework”, an alliance that includes al-Maliki’s party and other Shiite factions more closely linked to Iran.

The Iraqi presidency, traditionally held by a Kurd, is a largely ceremonial position, but the vote for Rashid, 78, was a major step toward forming a new government, which politicians have failed to do since the election.

The dispute, which prevented the election of a president or the formation of a government, escalated in July as supporters of the two sides took to the streets and inaugurated competing sit-ins in central Baghdad, sparking memories of the civil war.

In this regard, the newspaper quoted Muhammad Jassim, an Iraqi political analyst residing in Baghdad, as saying: “I think what happened today is a fatal blow to Muqtada al-Sadr politically. With the victory of the members of the coordination framework over Muqtada al-Sadr, the way is completely paved for them to pass their candidate (the prime minister). ) and government formation.

Jassim considered that the victory of the “coordinating framework” is also a victory for Iran and a setback for US interests in the region. He added: “They will do everything in their power to eliminate any American presence in the country and put obstacles in the way of any economic cooperation with the United States…all for the benefit of Iran.”

For its part, the British newspaper “Financial Times” quoted analysts warning that the victory of the Iranian-backed coalition would be a setback for Washington, which has been tacitly supporting a government led by al-Sadr.

And the newspaper said, in a report, that Al-Sudani’s supporters claim that his proven record in local and federal government means that he can form an efficient government capable of tackling some of the problems of oil-rich Iraq, foremost among which is rampant corruption and dilapidated public infrastructure. On the other hand, she added, others warn that Al-Sudani’s candidacy is a “name only” breakthrough.

The newspaper quoted Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House, as saying that assigning Al-Sudani to form the government cannot address the deep political tensions in the country. He added: “It does not address the deep sense of alienation of the Iraqi people from the political elite,” criticizing the political system in Iraq.

Mansour continued, “Today it is heralded as a breakthrough in the deadlock. But we still see the same figures who have dominated the political scene since 2003, who have stifled reform and encouraged political corruption that harms Iraqis every day.”

Shafaq.com

In his first speech … Prime Ministerial candidate Muhammad Al-Sudani announces his intention to form a strong government

On Thursday, Prime Minister-designate Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani announced his intention to form a strong government, while indicating his quest to hold local and parliamentary elections.

Al-Sudani said in a televised speech, “Today, we were honored to receive the letter of our assignment to form the new Iraqi government from His Excellency President Abdul Latif Rashid, relying on God and the support of our people, who endured pain, and made the dearest blood, and the most precious sacrifices.”

He added, “It is a matter of pride that we stand up to this great responsibility, and continue to serve our people, perform our duty and pay the debts we have to Iraq and its proud people,” declaring “our full readiness to cooperate with all political forces and societal components, whether represented in Parliament or represented in Parliament. The national space, for the responsibility is jointly borne by all, from political forces, professional and sectoral organizations, elites, competencies and opinion leaders.

Al-Sudani stressed by saying, “We will not allow exclusion and marginalization in our policies, as disagreements have cracked state institutions and lost many opportunities for Iraqis in development, construction and reconstruction.” strengthening national unity, rejecting division, and erasing hate speech.”

He continued, “I will do my best to form a strong government that is determined to implement its goals and program through the synergy of political forces by nominating efficient, professional and honest personalities capable of carrying out their responsibilities,” stressing that “our people’s waiting for this important moment has taken a long time, and it has burdened them and their sons, and have increased their burdens. The middle and poor classes, which have been the most affected over the past years.

He pointed out that “our work will start from the first hours of assignment according to a realistic government program that adopts economic reforms aimed at revitalizing the industrial and agricultural sectors, supporting the private sector, diversifying sources of income, addressing environmental impacts, desertification, climate change, and protecting water resources.”

He pledged that “the service government is determined to close the outlets of corruption through strict laws and legislation, in cooperation with the legislative and judicial authorities,” noting that “fighting corruption will be at the forefront of the government’s priorities, and we call on everyone to assume responsibility and participate in a comprehensive national campaign in the fight against corruption.”

Al-Sudani indicated that “our vision is clear and our program is supportive of local governments to enable them to provide the best services to our citizens, implement their duties and meet the legitimate demands of our children, in addition to our commitment to work according to the constitution in strengthening the relationship between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government and settling disputes, since we are all Iraqis about outstanding issues. We hope for a life worthy of us and our civilization, in the shadow of a unified and stable Iraq.”

He stressed, “We will seek to hold local and parliamentary elections, in a free and fair atmosphere and in the light of a transparent electoral system that reassures all contestants,” adding, “It is time to restore the state’s prestige, impose respect for the law, and stop the deterioration and chaos in all its names and forms. It has the legitimate right to spread security, extend the law, and defend national sovereignty through its official military and security institutions, and we will work hard to create a safe environment for investment companies and diplomatic missions.

Burathanews.com