Under pressure, Iraq PM finally fills cabinet vacancies

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Seven months after establishing a government, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil-Abdul-Mahdi has finally filled the remaining empty chairs around his cabinet table, approving nominations for the ministries of justice, defense, and the interior.

Following weeks of pressure from Shiite party blocs, Iraq’s highest religious authority, and firebrand cleric and kingmaker Muqtada al-Sadr, the PM may have successfully extinguished a political fire that threatened to bring down his administration.

The Baghdad parliament approved the nominees on Monday afternoon.

Judge Farouk Shawani won parliament’s vote of confidence to become minster of justice. He is a Kurd and a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), who won the backing of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

Shawani was however presented by Abdul-Mahdi as an independent, according to Rudaw’s correspondent in Baghdad Mustafa Goran.

Najah Al Shammari, a Sunni politician from the Al-Mihwar al-Watani Alliance, won parliamentary approval to become minister of defense – a post typically reserved for a Sunni candidate.

Yassin Al Yasiri, a Shiite politician from the Bina Coalition, was also approved by the parliament to become minister of the interior – a post typically reserved for a Shiite candidate.

Savana Al Tai failed, a Christian candidate, failed to win parliamentary approval to become minister of education. The post is typically reserved for a Sunni candidate. It is now the only department without a minister.

Parliament’s rival blocs had squabbled over the senior posts for months. Top ministerial jobs are typically divided up on sectarian lines between Iraq’s Shiite majority and its Sunni and Kurdish minorities.

Abdul-Mahdi, an independent technocrat appointed by President Barham Salih, has tried to balance the demands of Iraq’s deeply divided parties and ethnoreligious groups.

Although the cabinet dispute appears to be settled, the Iraqi PM is also under mounting pressure to urgently fix the country’s ramshackle infrastructure and address widespread corruption.

Iraq also risks being dragged into a proxy war between the US and Iran. Abdul-Mahdi is pursuing a neutral stance in the tensions and hopes to mediate between Iraq’s allies in Washington and Tehran.

However, pro-Iran parties and militias are causing the PM problems which rivals may try to exploit.

Rudaw.net

Iraq appoints new defense, interior, justice ministers

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi parliament approved on Monday three more ministers in Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi’s cabinet following several months of political disputes.

During a parliamentary session, the lawmakers approved Najah al-Shammari as defense minister, Yassin Taha al-Yassri as interior minister and Farouq Amin al-Shawwani as justice minister, Baghdad Today reported.

The three ministers are scheduled to take the oath of office shortly at the parliament.

However, the lawmakers rejected the appointment of Sufana al- Hamdani as education minister.

Former minister of education Shaimaa Al-Hayaali has offered her resignation to Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi last December amid reports that her brother had links with the terrorist Islamic State group.

The parliamentary vote on the vital ministries was delayed several times over political divisions.

Iraqinews.com

The House of Representatives completes the vote on the government cabinet in tomorrow’s session

Baghdad today – Baghdad – The Presidency of the House of Representatives announced on Sunday the inclusion of a vote on the completion of the government cab on the agenda of its meeting scheduled for tomorrow. The table also includes a vote on the renewal of their contracts in the Ministries of Defense and Interior.

Baghdadtoday.news

Nechirvan Barzani: ready to deliver 250 thousand barrels of oil to Baghdad

News / source newspaper term – The President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, the non-objection of the Kurdistan region in delivering the agreed quantity of oil to Baghdad, pointing to the need to hold talks on some legal issues related to

In this regard and reach a mutually satisfactory solution. He stressed the readiness of the region to cooperate with Baghdad to export Kirkuk oil or any other region to the outside through the pipeline Kurdistan oil region. “In principle, we have no problem with the delivery of 250,000 barrels of oil to Baghdad, but before that there should be discussions,” said Barzani, in an interview with the Anatolia news agency.

He added: “I was in Baghdad and I talked with the Prime Minister about this matter, and this matter must be discussed. It is not only about handing over 250,000 barrels, but there are legal issues, because cutting the share of the Kurdistan region from the budget since 2014, “It is necessary to talk about all these things to reach a satisfactory solution to the Kurdistan region and Baghdad, it is important for the parties to find a mechanism to settle this issue,” noting: “The Kurdistan region is ready to coordinate fully with Baghdad to reach a common result satisfactory to the parties “He said.

On the location of the Kurdistan region of the possibility of war between the United States and Iran, said Nechirvan Barzani: “At the beginning hope that the war does not erupt first, and on this issue we have full coordination with Baghdad, and our policy is not to make Iraq a battlefield for any party, Spare Iraq and the Kurdistan region as part of Iraq any war or problem. ”

He stressed that “the Kurdistan region categorically rejects the existence of the PKK or any armed group poses a threat to the neighbors, and this is our policy from earlier and continuing and will continue.”

He explained: “There are 500 villages in the Kurdistan region evacuated from the population of the existence of these groups, which cause many risks and must all armed groups to realize this and not undermine the security of Iraqi Kurdistan because our policy is to establish good relations with all neighboring countries.” On his visit to Turkey, he said that “our visit to Istanbul is important for us, our first foreign visit since we took the post of President of the Kurdistan region,” expressing his pleasure to meet with President Erdogan, stressing that “they discussed extensively ways to develop relations between Turkey and the region and Iraq in general “He said that the meeting dealt in detail with issues of importance to both parties.” I believe that a new phase will be established in the relations between the Kurdistan region, Turkey and Iraq, and I hope that my visit will be a means of developing relations. ”

He noted that Erdogan’s upcoming visit to Iraq would also be an important step in the relations between the two countries, pointing out that there are historical ties of friendship between Ankara and Erbil. “Turkey has helped our people at all difficult stages, and we renew our thanks to the President of the Republic of Turkey and its people for their assistance.”

On the formation of a joint commission between Turkey and the Iraqi central government to open a new border crossing between the two countries, he said that “this issue must be seriously discussed between Erbil, Baghdad and Ankara, and we are ready to take any step necessary to promote trade exchange,” noting: And we are ready for more cooperation with Baghdad to export Kirkuk oil or any other region through the Kurdistan oil pipeline and we plan to improve the performance of the pipeline in order to export larger quantities of oil through it. ”

Iraqakhbar.com

Iraq reveals hundreds of cases of corruption against accused abroad

“Iraq is represented by the judiciary and the public prosecution is constantly working on the issue of the recovery of fugitive defendants, but the response from other countries is not sufficient,” said a deputy prosecutor in Baghdad’s public prosecutor’s office, noting that 542 cases of corruption have been committed against suspects abroad since 2003.

“The extradition of criminals is a manifestation of cooperation between states to combat crimes and limit their spread, whereby a state extradites a person who resides in its territory to another country requesting him to be tried for the crime of committing or carrying out a sentence against him,” Judge Hana Ali Fayyad said.

She added that “the Iraqi legislator dealt with this subject through the Iraqi Code of Criminal Procedure No. 23 of 1971 and its amendments, which stipulated in Article 352 that he is in charge of the prosecution and the extradition of persons accused and sentenced to foreign countries, the provisions provided for in this law, International conventions, common law rules and the principle of reciprocity. ”

And on the procedures for the extradition of accused persons between countries, continued that “Chapter II of Chapter VII of the law referred to the conditions, controls and procedures and how to issue a decision to extradite in articles (357-368) of it and pursuant to the provisions of this article, consideration of the request for extradition is based on the treaty or the Convention between Iraq and the requesting State and in the absence of such a treaty or convention shall be based on the principle of reciprocity “.

She pointed out that “the implementation of the provisions of this law requires the submission of a request from the judicial authorities in the requesting countries to the judicial authorities in the State required to hand over the diplomatic route and through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in both States, provided that the request in writing accompanied by a full statement of the person requested extradition, If he is a national of the requesting State and an official copy of the warrant of arrest with the legal description of the crime and the judicial article with an official copy of the investigation papers and the decision of the verdict if it has been issued. ”

The Deputy Prosecutor talked about the role and position of the Interpol police in the recovery of criminals, stressing that “Iraq joined its membership in 1967, based in the French city of Paris and has offices in the capitals of all Member States and aims to further international cooperation in the fight against crime and prosecution of offenders and reduce the Proliferation, “noting that” the role of the Directorate of Arab International Police and associated with the Ministry of the Interior is effective in the extradition and recovery procedures. ”

But the judge stressed that “the most non-cooperative countries in the recovery of fugitives fleeing outside Iraq, especially when their presence in the countries of Jordan, Britain and America,” noting that “there are 542 cases of corruption against them in accordance with the provisions of articles (340/341/331/315/316/318) / 307 / and Resolution 160 of 1983) from 2003 until now “.

“The competent authorities to approve the recovery of criminals and fugitives outside Iraq is the head of the Public Prosecution, which organizes and follows up the files of the recovery of accused and convicted fugitives out of Iraq on the recommendations of the President of the Supreme Judicial Council as well as the Criminal Court appointed by the President of the Supreme Judicial Council pursuant to Article 361 Fundamentalism After the decision is issued by the competent criminal court, the papers are sent to the Supreme Judicial Council pursuant to the provisions of article 362 / C fundamentalist.

It also stressed that “the law imposed important points for the recovery of criminals is that a crime has been committed and the perpetrator escaped from the State where the crime occurred to another country was required to be extradited accused of committing an offense occurred within the territory of the requesting state or outside the laws of the requesting State and the laws of the Republic Iraq shall be punished by imprisonment or imprisonment for a term of not less than two years or any more severe penalty or issued by a court of the state requesting the extradition of imprisonment for a period of not less than six months or any more severe punishment.

“Article 40 of the Riyadh Convention on Legal and Judicial Cooperation, ratified by Law No. 110 of 1983, stipulates that the penalty shall be one year or more, or a sentence of absenteeism or attendance at the courts of the party requesting a penalty of one year or more.

The deputy prosecutor general of the prosecution, Hana Ali Fayyad, said that “all crimes committed in violation of the rules of criminal legislation of countries may be extradited, but some crimes are excluded. This exception is due to a national convention or legislation or a violation of international law.

Shafaaq.com

Launch of electronic platform for financial transactions between banks operating in Iraq

The Central Bank launched the electronic platform for trading between banks operating in Iraq Interbank Market (FX, Money Market)

A platform that establishes an organized electronic financial market that opens and facilitates the way for foreign investment in Iraq .

The platform aims to increase cooperation between banks and increase their ability to diversify the financial services of their customers and attract the commercial and financial operations available in the market .

Within the framework of these measures, the Central Bank sponsored a technical workshop between one of the leading international companies in the areas of financial solutions and a number of banks operating in Iraq with the support of the Association of Iraqi private banks .

Central Bank of Iraq

Cbi.iq/news

The breadth of the opposition .. Has the government of Abd al-Mahdi ended?

Al-Ahed News – It seems that the deadline of the year set by the political parties in Iraq to the government of Adel Abdul Mahdi in order to test its performance, has been reduced to nine months, after the expansion of the opposition, the impact of the frustration that hit the politicians before the Iraqi people of no achievement if compared to the list of promises that Follow them as soon as they secure the tasks of running the country.

The deadline for the government of Abdul Mahdi, according to the MP in the Parliament for the Alliance for Democracy and Justice Ribwar, comes in order to evaluate and hold the program of the government of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi.

“The Iraqi Council of Representatives now overlooks the performance of the work of the government of Dr. Adel Abdul-Mahdi to give a chance for a full year and then will be held accountable and evaluated its work in relation to the promises made when giving him confidence by Parliament more than seven months ago “He said.

He explained that “the deadline of the year that gave the government of Abdul-Mahdi to show their ability to end files in relation to fighting corruption and building Iraq,” asserting that “after the end of the year will move the parliament to take its oversight role against the Prime Minister.”

Constructive opposition

The National Wisdom Movement, led by Ammar al-Hakim, announced in Iraq on Sunday that it joined the opposition against the policies of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi’s government.

With this decision, the current wisdom has joined the alliance of victory led by former Prime Minister Haider Abadi, who announced the opposition two days ago.

In a statement, Al-Tayyar said in a statement that “based on a review of the previous visions and convictions discussed by the Bureau in detail, the meeting ended with the announcement of the National Wisdom Movement to adopt the option of a constructive national constitutional political opposition, and full commitment to this option and the required and required role, And positions at the national level. ”

The statement added that “this option came after the meeting held by the current at the central headquarters to examine the political situation in general and the level of service and concerns of the Iraqi street in particular.”

And the stream of wisdom dissident from the Supreme Council, headed by Ammar al-Hakim, and has 20 deputies in the Iraqi parliament, and is currently included in the coalition of reform and reconstruction, with a number of political blocs, such as “Suron” led by Moqtada al-Sadr, and the National Coalition led by Iyad Allawi, and “victory” Haidar Abadi.

The opposition movement led the opposition coalition, which officially announced its opposition to the government, while engaged in discussions with the blocs of the coalition of the rule of law led by Nuri al-Maliki, and the stream of wisdom led by Ammar al-Hakim, to join the bloc.

And over the past years did not form a political bloc opposition in the Iraqi parliament, and all the blocks involved in the government or not opposed to its policies, and the reason, according to observers due to the desire of most of those parties to gain from government ministries in general, which is not obtained if the resort To the opposition option.

This is a complex dispute with the other blocs, as Abadi and Hakim see that they have been subjected to something like a trick, where they give up their shares in the government, in the hope that the rest of the blocks, in support of the efforts of reform , But that did not happen.

No opposition without 100 deputies

In contrast, sees the deputy head of the coalition of Iraqi forces Mohammed Karbouli, it can not be declared political opposition within parliament unless it includes more than 100 deputies of the political blocs.

Karbouli said in a statement to the program (political dimensions) on the channel of the Covenant, that some blocks may join the wisdom in the opposition

Alahadnews.net

THE SADR ALLIANCE CALLS FOR THE HOSTING OF ABDUL MAHDI AND ALL MEMBERS OF HIS GOVERNMENT

The “block” backed by the leader of the Sadrist movement Moqtada al-Sadr on Saturday and bindingly to the presence of Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi and his cabinet to the House of Representatives to show the stages of completion in the government program.

This came during a joint press conference held in Hanan Najaf Saturday evening, the head of the alliance of Hassan al-Akoli, the head of the reform and reconstruction bloc MP Sabah al-Saadi, and the secretary of the Communist Party of Iraq Raed Fahmi, MP Majed Tamimi and MP Anam Khuzai.

“After the follow-up and control and not to change much of the reality of service, security and economic failure to create jobs to eliminate unemployment in the program, which pledged to the Iraqi people,” said Akkuli, “We must invite the Prime Minister and his cabinet to attend the House of Representatives of In order to provide a detailed and complete report on the percentage of completion of the government program and explain what are the obstacles that prevented its implementation.

He added that “members of the Alliance bloc are continuing to submit a request to host the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to attend the House of Representatives to provide the reality of the implementation of the government program and a detailed and realistic explanation based on accurate figures.”

“The government has committed itself to the House of Representatives in the first session of the second legislative term to file the files of corruption committed by the trial of the corrupt senior public money through the 40 files placed before the Supreme Council to combat corruption, so we point out the need to inform the Iraqi people on the procedures Combating corruption from the presidential bodies, headed by the Integrity Commission and the Bureau of Financial Supervision and the Anti-Corruption Council. ”

“The implementation of the government program is one of the priorities of the government, with regard to the parliamentary opposition of the government, the parliament was worse, whether it was in power or not, it should exercise its role,” the head of the reform and reconstruction bloc told Sabah al-Saadi.

“The files of anti-corruption and the provision of services and levels of security, economic and social imperative must be committed by the government, and immunity for the government and the Ministry will be unsuccessful and do not provide services, and we call the Prime Minister and his cabinet to submit his report, and we have our own report and our diagnosis and therefore must See the government report and then boycott information for each recent incident. ”

“We are in any case coming to the government for deep reforms,” ​​Communist Party Secretary Raed Fahmi said in his speech.

He said that “the security ministries must be taken over by professional security elements with the specifications that can gain confidence for all citizens and able to manage these important joints.”

Fahmy added that “(s) confirms that it is time and should finish this file, and will be helpful to end this file provided that these sites take elements and personalities with the information mentioned.”

The House of Representatives Speaker Mohamed Halbousi announced earlier in the day that the agenda of the upcoming meetings will include a vote on the completion of the ministerial cabin and the end of the Agency and special grades until the end of the legislative term.

The House of Representatives raised its meeting to 22-6-2019 at 11 am.
The Iraqi parliament voted on October 25 to grant confidence to 14 ministers in the government of Abdul Mahdi.

There are still 3 portfolios in the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, despite the passage of more than six months on the formation of the government, namely defense, interior and justice.

Shafaaq.com

Sadr calls for Abdul Mahdi to complete the cabinet cab in 10 days

Called the leader of the Sadrist movement, Moqtada al-Sadr, on Monday, the political blocs to authorize the Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi to complete the cabinet cabin within 10 days, while calling for the block to keep the public interest.
Sadr said in a statement seen by Alsumaria News, “It is not shameful and shameful to see this stabbing on positions in the House of Representatives and in the Council of Ministers alike, but the rest of the other posts … It is forbidden and forbidden to lead to the injustice of the people who suffer The scourge of power outages and the control of some hardliners who are brazen about his destiny, the fate of his family and his life, and even because of the disobedience to the orders of reference, directions and directions. ”

Al-Sadr called on the bloc to “take into account the public interest and have signed some injustice and injustice, as it used to … and will gain the satisfaction of God and the love of the people and this is very proud in this world and the Hereafter.”

He called on all political blocs to “authorize the Prime Minister to complete the cabinet cabin within ten days only,” noting that “Abdul Mahdi must take into account the interest of the homeland and be a choice in accordance with integrity and efficiency and specialization or I will not support him.”

He pointed to “the need to speed up the MPs to vote on the remaining parliamentary committees .. Otherwise we will have another pause .. You know our shortcomings

Alsumaria.tv

Central: The cash mass outside the banks is more than 39 trillion dinars

The Central Bank of Iraq revealed on Monday the amount of cash mass outside the Iraqi banks, pointing out that it is more than 39 trillion dinars.

The bank said in an official statistic it was briefed by Alsumaria News that “the amount of currency outside the banks amounted in January of 2019 by 39 trillion and 796 billion and 700 million dinars,” noting that “this amount fell from the month of December of 2018, which amounted to 40 Trillion and 498 billion and 67 million dinars. ”

The bank added that “the highest level of currency outside banks during the past three years was in December 2016, where it reached 42 trillion and 75 billion dinars, while the lowest level of currency during the month of February of 2004, which amounted to 5 trillion and 431 million Dinar”.

The Central Bank in 2011 put forward a project to delete the zeros for the structure of the currency, which the bank considered it would transfer Iraq from the country of trillions to billions, that the project was met with great opposition by the specialists and politicians in parliament.

Iraqakhbar.com