Coordination framework: Our participation in the voting session on the new president depends on our agreement with Al-Sadr

Shafaq News / The coordination framework, which brings together Shiite political forces, revealed today, Saturday, support for resolving his decision to participate in the parliament session devoted to voting on the new president of the republic.

The leader in the framework, MP Ahmed Al-Moussawi, told Shafak News Agency; “The forces of the coordinating framework have not made up their minds until this moment in participating in the parliament session devoted to voting on the new president of the republic, and this matter depends on negotiations and dialogues with the Sadrist movement.”
Al-Moussawi indicated that “in the event that there is a final agreement with the Sadrist movement on the process of forming the new government, the forces of the coordination framework will participate in the session.

The Speaker of Parliament, Muhammad al-Halbousi, announced on March 15 that “it was decided to set Saturday, corresponding to March 26, as the date for the parliament session to elect the president of the republic.”

Earlier, the Iraqi Council of Representatives announced the names of 40 candidates for the presidency.

The council noted the exclusion of five candidates, one of whom is covered by the accountability and justice procedures, and the other four for reasons related to their university degrees.

Shafaq.com

Deputy: Raising The Dollar Exchange Rate Exhausted The Iraqi People, And There Are No Signs Of Treatment

Information / Member of Parliament Daoud Al-Eidan confirmed, on Saturday, that the continuation of raising the exchange rate of the dollar against the Iraqi dinar has burdened citizens, in addition to the crisis of rising prices of basic commodities, stressing that there are no signs of returning the exchange rate to its previous era.

Al-Aidan said in a statement to “The Information”, that “raising the dollar exchange rate was a wrong decision and exhausted citizens and burdened them with increases at all prices.

He added that “the exchange rate negatively affected the level of Iraqi per capita income, especially those with limited income.”

He explained that “the decision to raise the exchange rate of the dollar was taken in order to exhaust the Iraqi people and damage their purchasing power,” and indicated that “there is no intention of the government to reverse the decision to return the dollar exchange rate to its previous era.”

State of Law MP Muhammad al-Shammari accused the government of shirking its responsibilities towards citizens, stressing that the government is unable to rein in the price hike.

Almaalomah.me

Sovereignty: The Triple Alliance has candidates for the presidency and the ministers

Shafaq News / The Sovereignty Alliance, led by Khamis al-Khanjar, confirmed on Saturday that the “Triple” Alliance to Save the Nation owns the candidates for the position of President of the Republic and Prime Minister, while noting that the number of deputies of the coalition exceeds 180.

The leader of the coalition, MP Raad Al-Dahlaki, told Shafak News Agency, “The Alliance to Save a Nation, which includes (the Sadrist bloc, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and the Sovereignty), will be announced at an official conference, before the presidential election session.”

Al-Dahlaki added, “The coalition is, in principle, on the ground, integrated, and has a platform, program and a clear vision for forming the next government.”

The leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, seeks, through the tripartite alliance, to form a national majority government, while stressing the exclusion of the “State of Law” coalition led by al-Maliki, but the rest of the Shiite forces within the “coordinating framework” reject this and demand a consensual government in which all political forces in Parliament participate. Similar to previous courses.

Shafaq.com

The Triple Alliance intends to announce the “Save a Homeland” bloc

Baghdad – Political sources in the capital, Baghdad, reported that the tripartite alliance intends to announce the “Save a Homeland” bloc, which is the gathering of the “Sadr bloc” and the Kurdistan Democratic Party, in addition to the “Sovereignty Alliance.”

An informed political source told “Nass” that “the understandings between the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi, and the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Masoud Barzani, have reached advanced stages, as these parties are close to announcing A united bloc, in the name of (Save a Homeland).”

The source added, “The announcement of the bloc was delayed, due to the political movement that developed, through the contact that took place between the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, and the head of the State of Law coalition, Nuri al-Maliki, and the developments that followed,” noting that “the Iranian bombing of Erbil.” He also disrupted the announcement of this alliance.”

Nasnews.com

The Iraqi government justifies the reasons for adopting a new exchange rate for the dollar

Shafaq News / Today, Sunday, the Iraqi Ministry of Finance clarified the reasons for adopting a new exchange rate for the US dollar against the local currency, noting that this came to supplement national production, protect the central bank’s reserves and support the budget.

In a statement received by Shafaq News Agency, the Ministry of Finance said that, during the past three years, it has borne the burden of a stifling financial crisis that threatened the state’s ability to fulfill its obligations that were already burdened by a large legacy represented by the inflation rate of public spending and the rise in the wage bill, which threatened to secure the salaries of its employees, in light of the low Sharp global oil prices and a dangerous health situation due to the consequences of the Corona pandemic on the national economy and its repercussions on the economic reality and the social fabric.

The Ministry of Finance indicated that the general budget continues between the need for a wise public financial management with its obligations to ensure the protection of the weakest and most needy groups, pointing to the support of the international community for the policies of the Ministry of Finance, as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank approved public financial management under extremely difficult circumstances.

In a previous statement, the Iraqi Ministry of Finance issued, on the fifth of last October, a clarification regarding the exchange rate of the US dollar, noting that changing it worked to “stop the fall of the reserve currency and enhance import capabilities.”

The indicators showed, according to the financial statement, a clear improvement in commercial activity in the past nine months of the current year 2021 in light of the crisis of the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and it also helped to stop the penetration of the Iraqi market and flood it with cheap goods that curb attempts to upgrade local production.

It is noteworthy that the Central Bank of Iraq, on December 19, 2020, officially announced the amendment of the foreign exchange rate (the US dollar) to be 145,000 dinars for every $100, according to the state’s general budget for the year 2021 approved by the House of Representatives.

Shafaq.com

Al-Zamili: The next parliament session will witness a vote on three paragraphs

Baghdad / Obelisk: The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hakim Al-Zamili, revealed, three paragraphs during the next parliament session.

Al-Zamili said, in a statement followed by the obelisk, that “the House of Representatives includes deputies who do not look to their parties, but to the interest of Iraq,” noting that “the interest in forming a government and choosing a president representing Iraq.”

He added, “The next parliament session will include several paragraphs, including voting on committees, voting on the rules of procedure for the division of committees, and voting on choosing the president of the republic.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Muhammad al-Halbousi, set Saturday, March 26, as the date for the House of Representatives session to elect the President of the Republic.

Almasalah.com

Talabani hints at ‘one candidate’ for the presidency: It is not too late

Baghdad – The President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Bafel Talabani, hinted , on Thursday, to the possibility of agreeing on one candidate for the presidency of the Republic, during his meeting with a delegation from the European Union.

During his meeting with the delegation (March 17, 2022), in Dabashan, Sulaymaniyah, Talabani said: “It is not too late, and we can all put political and personal conflicts aside, and present one candidate for the presidency, in a patriotic spirit, to strengthen the entity of the Kurdistan region and protect the higher interests.”

Talabani stressed, “The situation in Iraq requires a settlement and mutual understanding in order to form a strong and effective government that provides peace and stability for the people.”

And last Monday, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Majid Shankali, said that the time for negotiations with the PUK has ended, and it may be difficult to return to an agreement, suggesting that it is likely to go towards the 2018 scenario.

Shankali stressed: “The time for negotiations with the PUK has ended, and the reality of the situation today is that both parties have a candidate for the presidency,” noting that “the recent Iranian attack on Erbil may be a political pressure, not a security one.”

He added, “After the Nowruz holidays, the features of the next government will become clear, in light of the recent rapprochement between the coordination framework and the Sadrist movement, and it is possible that the two Kurdish parties will enter the national space with two candidates to choose him as President of the Republic, and the chances of our candidate are greater than those of the National Union candidate.”

He pointed out that “the last meeting in El-Hanana led to the participation of the coordination framework in the next government, but the tripartite alliance still remains, and this certainly does not satisfy the framework, who want a broader participation.”

Nasnews.com

Iraq’s parliament sets date for selecting president from Kurdish ranks

The selection of Iraqi president have been delayed because of the sharp division between the two main Kurdish parties over which candidate should fill the role reserved for their group.

Iraqi political parties are divided sharply over selecting the new president. The role is reserved for a Kurd, who has usually come from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

However, PUK’s rival, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), is allied with largest Sunni party (Taqaddom, led by Muhammad Halbousi) and the largest Shiite party (Sadrists, led by Muqtada Sadr). On the other side, the Coordination Framework, consisting of mostly Iran-backed groups, are supporting a second term for the current president, Barham Saleh, who is affiliated with the PUK.

The parliament has set March 26 as the date to elect the President. 40 candidates are registered for the post, including Barham Saleh.

Non-Kurdish parties are waiting for the end of the crisis between the two Kurdish parties. The delay caused by this division entails another delay for the Shiites in agreeing on the upcoming prime minister.

Kazem al-Haidari, a member of the State of Law coalition led by Nuri al-Maliki, announced March 5 an unsuccessful initiative put forward by the Coordinating Framework that includes Shiite political and armed forces to resolve the Kurdish crisis. Haidari, however, did not address the content of the initiative, its details, or even its mechanisms.

The initiative shows that the Shiite and Sunni parties have not yet been able to to bring the Kurdish parties together at the negotiating table. But both groups have insisted on their right to the post of President of the Republic.

A leading KDP member, Shwan Muhammad Taha, told Al-Monitor, “There are no serious mediations. … The PUK wants mediation and negotiations that fall only within its best interest.”

He added, “The presidential position reverts to the Kurdish component, and not exclusively to the PUK. Ultimately, this issue must be settled by Parliament where the party with the most votes will win.”

According to the political practice in Iraq since 2003, the President of the Republic position is filled usually by a Kurd. The PUK, led by the Talabani family, has been filling this post since 2005. The KDP competed with it in 2018, but did not succeed.

The Shiites and Sunnis have yet to put forward any concrete initiative, although the leader of the Popular Mobilization Unit (PMU)-affiliated Babylon faction, Rayan al-Kildani, an ally of Iran in Iraq, proposed an initiative during his visit to the KDP leader, Massoud Barzani. According to a statement by Babylon, Kildani expressed his readiness to serve as the link between all parties.

Al-Monitor spoke to PUK leader Rizan al-Sheikh, who denied any initiatives or efforts by the Shiite and Sunni parties to bring the Kurds closer together. “What is being proposed are mere expressions of intentions and attempts to settle matters. All of this falls within the scope of efforts aimed to strip us of the presidency. This is something we do not accept,” she said.

Both the Shiite and Sunni parties seem to be exploiting the intra-Kurdish disagreement to gain time, and both are trying to justify their failure to come up with initiatives to solve the crisis.

The PUK believes it is entitled to the post of President of the Republic, but the KDP fears this position would be consecrated to the PUK, just as the post of Prime Minister has been reserved to Shiites and the speaker of Parliament has been reserved to Sunnis over the past 19 years.

When the Federal Court rejected the KDP candidacy of Hoshyar Zebari, Massoud Barzani’s uncle, the KDP nominated a new candidate: the Kurdistan region’s interior minister, Reber Ahmed Barzani. The move reflected the family’s insistence on keeping the presidential post. Nechirvan Barzani is the president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and his cousin Masrour Barzani is the prime minister.

The power struggle between the two Kurdish parties escalated, especially with Barzani not nominating any candidate from outside his family. Some members of the Coordinating Framework expressed their rejection of Barzani’s presidential candidate in political salons and television programs, and they seemed to support Barham Salih, whom they had always accused of being the agent of the US and the West.

An Iraqi politician in a Shiite party affiliated with the Coordination Framework spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “Iran’s allies now support Salih for a second term, and this is based on the recommendation of Iran,” he said.

The Federal Supreme Court’s ban on Zebari’s candidacy, in addition to decreeing the parliamentary so-called “blocking third”, are all hurdles for the tripartite alliance between Massoud Barzani, Muqtada al-Sadr and Muhammad al-Halbousi — an alliance that Iran did not want.

Meanwhile, the Kurds’ protracted failure to achieve a consensus on the presidential post seems to offer an opportunity for Iran and its allies who lost in the elections. The Kurdish dispute will grant Tehran the time it needs to reposition the Shiite forces in one alliance, or at least involve them all in the next government.

Al-monitor.com

Al-Halbousi announces the date of the presidential election session

{Politics: Al Furat News} The Speaker of Parliament, Muhammad Al-Halbousi, announced, on Tuesday evening, the date of the session for the election of the President of the Republic.

Al-Halbousi said, in a brief statement, which {Euphrates News} received a copy of, that: “It was decided to set Saturday, March 26, as the date for the parliament session to elect the president of the republic.”

Alforatnews.iq/news

The monetary impact of the dollar sale window

Dollar sales through the central bank window are economically classified according to the Open Market Operations method. In Iraq, a year later, the political change was followed for the purpose of controlling the exchange rate, and it is an important part of monetary policy, as the exchange rate was considered a nominal fixer for the policy after losing the exchange rate. Interest is the ability to influence due to the structural imbalance in economic activity resulting from dependence on oil and the atrophy of investments and the loss of their flexibility to a large extent towards the interest rate. It controls the general rate of prices to a relatively large extent.

The monetary impact of the window plays an important economic role in the field of the duties of the central bank within its central goal in controlling inflation by influencing the monetary mass within the economy, and here the process indicates to us another structural defect, as the government’s monopoly on the main resource in the economy, which is oil and the proportions it constitutes It is high in GDP, with an average rate of more than 48%, its concentration in exports is 99%, and its contribution to budget revenues has reached an average rate of 92%, and therefore it is the largest contributor to the percentages of GDP improvements, and the issue here is that these government revenues achieve a growing ability to spend, Since the process is based on a barter between the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank, the first party grants the dollar to the second party and it becomes a debt on it, so that the second party compensates it in dinars to return it to the Ministry of Finance.

And since the volume of output is dependent, according to the mentioned ratios, on oil and it is in a productive development, as the production capacity has reached five million barrels and it is hoped that it will reach eight in 2027 according to the ministry’s plans, and these expansions lead to improvements in output, and here is the most important reason for the growth of the monetary mass issued by the bank according to the equation mentioned, as these increases are added to the activity mainly through government spending.

The control of inflation rates lies in the procedures of the window, as it withdraws part of the cash mass by exchanging the window dollars for the street dinars, and this is a process (sterilization) of the effects of government spending, which is a very expensive process, and one of the factors that undermine capital accumulation.

We point out another structural imbalance, which is that the dollar’s ​​only source is oil, and the concentration ratio proves this, and then meeting the demand for the dollar internally to cover imports has no way except by withdrawing the government dollar, and this is what the window does, which means that it is important on the financial level, as it is The guarantor of the flow of goods is also important in monetary terms, as the bank was able to control inflation rates by withdrawing the inflationary impact of the continuous growth of the monetary mass as a result of government spending.

Here is the response to the calls to abolish the window on the pretext of the great corruption that accompanies its work, and the calls for (dollarization) without understanding its impact. The solution in the short term lies in the legal treatment of corruption in the window, but in the medium and long term, it is the treatment of the structural imbalance that imposes the existence of the window.

Alsabaah-iq.com