Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr speaks at Friday prayers in Kufa, 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, May 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Alaa al-Marjani)

Ahead of Kirkuk anniversary, Sadr appeals for Kurdish-Iraqi unity

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose Sayirun alliance won the most seats in Iraq’s May 12 parliamentary election, has issued a message to “Iraqi Kurds and their politicians” appealing for national unity just a day before the anniversary of the October 2017 events.

Sadr, the firebrand militia leader-turned kingmaker, has played a central role in forming the new government now taking shape in Baghdad, promoting technocrats in key posts and prioritizing efforts to break up the old patronage networks which have dominated Iraqi politics.

Recent talks between Iraqi and Kurdish parties indicate Sadr wants to see Kurds meaningfully involved in the new government.

In a statement posted on Twitter on Monday afternoon, Sadr said Kirkuk could become an example of successful interethnic coexistence if Kurds and Arabs work together.

“We want you to live with us without separation and this is the best meaning of love we have to practice in a united Iraq,” said Sadr. “We want you united, strong, and respected, without being oppressed or oppressing [others].

“We will live with you with justice and fairness and we will not let you be abused. We also know that there are lovers of moderation among you and there is no difference between Kurds and Arabs except for Taqwa (piety) and love of homeland,” he said.

Equal partnership between Kurds and Arabs is enshrined in the Iraqi constitution, which also sets out a democratic path to resolving the demographic questions surrounding Kirkuk and other disputed territories – Article 140.

Kurdish leaders have long argued the constitution has not been adhered to, prompting the September 2017 referendum for Kurdish independence.

Baghdad responded to the referendum and its strong mandate for independence by reigning in the Kurdistan Region’s autonomy and seizing Kirkuk and the disputed territories, which Kurdish forces had defended from ISIS in 2014.

Over the course of the last year, these territories have seen a creeping process of ‘Arabization’, whereby Kurdish and Turkmen residents have been displaced by Arab settlers.

The security situation in Kirkuk has notably declined since the withdrawal of Peshmerga and the removal of Kurdish officials from the Kirkuk administration.

Sadr, who has previously held sympathies with the Kurdish people, says Kirkuk could become a strong example of coexistence if Kurds and Arabs find a common purpose.

“Let’s save Iraq, forget about shares, avoid corruption, renew [our] promise to Iraq to give it new faces who can protect your prestige and raise your position after we elevate Iraq and its people,” Sadr said.

“[This is] also to unite your old generation with the new generation, so that we can be with you in supporting Iraq and so that Kirkuk becomes an example of coexistence for all sects and races,” he added.

It is unclear whether Sadr deliberately chose the anniversary of the October 2017 events to address Kurds and their leaders.

It is also unclear whether Kurdish leaders will achieve normalization in Kirkuk and the return of Peshmerga forces in exchange for any government-forming deal with Iraqi parties.

Article Credit: Rudaw.net

University of Ceyhan to host a symposium on the Iraqi currency next Monday

Economy News Baghdad: Next Monday, the University of Ceyhan will host the economic symposium “The Iraqi Currency”, which will be presented by Dr. Hamam Al-Shamma.

An official source for “Economy News”, “The University of Ceyhan will embrace next Monday the work of the economic dialogue seminar (the Iraqi currency what and what) and cast the international economic expert Hammam al-Shamma.”

He stressed that “the lecture will be about the importance of enhancing confidence in the Iraqi currency in light of the major challenges facing the global monetary system as a result of the economic war between the major powers.” He pointed out that “the workshop will be attended by high-level figures from various quarters.”

Article Link: Economy-news.net

Sadr said no one from his bloc would receive any ministerial posts. Reuters

Iraq reaches “stability” after four decades of chaos

The change in the Iraqi government has always led to strong disagreements and sometimes to violence. When the young Iraqi king Faisal II was overthrown in 1958, he was executed by firing squad in the courtyard of his palace in Baghdad, and then his body was displayed hanging. Few of those who succeeded him ended even better, until the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the transition in the ensuing years that generated hatred and discontent within Iraq, as well as strong political pressure from outside powers.

In contrast to these blood-stained traditions, the election of the veteran Kurdish politician Barham Saleh as president by the Iraqi parliament, as well as the election of Adel Abdul Mahdi, an independent Shiite politician, as a prime minister, is a peaceful and moderate choice. The ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace in Baghdad’s Green Zone, where Salih received the honor guard and received outgoing President Fuad Masum.

These appointments have been pending since the end of the last elections, which took place on May 12, but when the appointments were welcomed, they were at least accepted by the main parties in Iraq. Abdul Mahdi has 30 days to form his government and is likely to succeed. The political climate is now different from what it was during the last change of prime minister in 2014, when he took over the post Haider Abadi, after the defeat of the Iraqi army to the organization «Daash», where the fighters became the organization on the gates of Baghdad.

Miscellaneous accidents

The Da’ash organization continues to carry out acts of murder and sporadic bombing, but not at the pace it once had, and violence has been at its lowest in Iraq since 2003. This shift in Iraqi life is so radical that the country no longer lives Wars and crises, and revolutions and sanctions, as is the case for almost 40 years, after the accession of Saddam Hussein power.

The pessimists see that the absence of a current political conflict is due to the fact that Saleh and Abdul Mahdi are respected men from the Kurdish and Shiite political elites who have taken power since the fall of Saddam Hussein 15 years ago and have misjudged Iraq. The two men have held high-ranking government posts, leading to the belief that the politicians who have chosen the men will receive their natural share of ministries, positions and contracts. “Has one of the bad conditions in Iraq been reformed, such as corruption, so far?” Asked one Iraqi political commentator with extensive experience in Iraqi politics.

The pressure, now practiced to reform the corrupt state, seems to have peaked as a result of the living conditions in Iraq. When the angry demonstrations broke out last summer in the city of Basra, they protested the lack of electricity, water, food and livelihoods, and added that drinking water when safe was poisoned, leaving thousands hospitalized.

Priority to the economy

The election success of the Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr, where his coalition, known as the “Saroon”, achieved a majority in the general elections last May, confirms that priority for the Iraqis has become social and economic issues, not sectarian solidarity. Sadr seems to be well aware of the skepticism of most Iraqis, who believe his movement’s enthusiasm will evaporate and evaporate when they become leaders in ministries.

To dispel these fears a few days ago, Sadr said his bloc “could not be a minister” in the new government, giving Abdel Mahdi one year to implement reforms, and that he would face a massive “uprising,” a threat that could not be underestimated, In Basra they burnt government and party offices. “We succeeded in pushing for the appointment of an independent prime minister and encouraged him to form a government without pressure from any party or sect,” Sadr said. We issued our instructions not to appoint any member of our bloc in any ministry in the next government. We agreed to give the prime minister one year to prove his success, take important steps to build Iraq, and eliminate tyranny. “

The implementation of such reforms will not be easy, because in reality it is not only the elite that loot Iraqi oil revenues. There are 4.5 million government employees who receive monthly salaries of up to $ 4 billion. They maintain their jobs through their loyalty For a particular political party or sect.

The choice of the president and the prime minister indicates that there is some change in the authority in Baghdad and the Kurdish region. Abdul Mahdi is not from the Shiite Dawa party, which was presented by former heads of government, but from the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq, a religious party with close ties to Iran. Salih is from the deeply divided PUK, which governs the eastern region of Kurdistan.

Both appointments represent a change in the relationship with Iran and a departure from the United States. Which is important because the United States was hoping to remain Abadi in power, where it cooperated with him successfully against the organization «Dahesh». Abadi was about to say he supported the United States in its sanctions against Iran.

Although Abbadi was the prime minister when he liberated Mosul from “da’ash” and restored the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, it did not give him much confidence in the Iraqi electorate.

Reducing the violence allowed Iraqis to focus on the massive thefts of state resources under the Dawa Party, which failed to improve or even maintain state infrastructure.

Saleh’s choice is a sign that the influence of Massoud Barzani, the most powerful Kurdish leader, has been greatly diminished by the referendum on his independence last year, which has helped speed up the advance of Iraqi security forces toward Kirkuk and other disputed areas with the Kurds. Part of Saleh’s party cooperated with government forces.

All successive Iraqi governments have been weak and fragile as a result of ethnic and religious differences, but the new government is a sign that Iraq is stable after four decades of violence and division.

– The pressure now being exerted to reform the corrupt state has peaked as a result of the living conditions in Iraq.

– Violence has become the lowest in Iraq since 2003. This transformation in Iraqi life is so radical that the country no longer lives in the state of wars, crises, revolutions and sanctions.

Patrick Cockburn is the Independent correspondent for the Middle East

Source

Sadr: The time has come to live together safely away from the dagger of betrayal and corruption

(Baghdad: Furat News) called the leader of the Sadrist movement, Moqtada al-Sadr, the Sunnis of Iraq and their politicians to leave the quota and live together away from betrayal and corruption.

Mr. Sadr said in his twitter on the social networking site {Twitter} today, “I accuse you of our honest resistance to the occupier and Isthlvkm united prayers and Isthlvkm to expel us to anyone who assaulted you without right and Isthlfkm our position, which Azertk in the hour of hardship and Ifthalfkm our positions moderate with you, especially in Mosul and Anbar and others, “I prayed with your blood in your occupied provinces, but you did not leave quotas, divisions, sectarianism and quotas.”

He added: “If you advance public interests to party interests and look at your rules, which are shaken by violence and extremism, and drive away all the corrupt and sectarian as well as beyond them … then those who are old and the right of Iraq are on you. Corruption “.
He concluded by saying ”

Source: Alforatnews.com

Financial expert: Deleting zeros from the currency is a correct procedure .. but not at the present time

BAGHDAD / Nina: confirmed the financial expert Safwan Qusay Abdul Halim, on Saturday, that the current economic situation does not allow the implementation of the project to delete the zeros of the currency attributing this, the conditions of the unstable Middle East and the possibility of a local currency are illegal looking for a way to enter the system Local banker.

“The Central Bank of Iraq is trying to restore confidence in the Iraqi currency and the introduction of the international currency market and facilitate the task of calculations by deleting zeros, stressing that the current economic situation is not allowed because of the unstable conditions in the East Middle East and the possibility of illegal domestic currencies looking for a way to enter the local banking system. ”

He pointed out that “the project can disrupt the monetary policy and the value of the Iraqi dinar, so the procedure to delete zeros is a correct procedure, but the current government to choose the appropriate time to replace the currency and transparent and subject to the highest degrees of control.

The governor of the Central Bank Ali Alaq announced earlier the existence of a plan to delete zeros from the local currency, noting that “this plan needs to deliberate steps, so as not to be exploited in the work of fraud.”

Al-Alaq said in a press statement that “currencies with small categories, may lead the citizen to bid farewell to banks in the difficulty of storage.”

“The central bank has a future plan to restructure the Iraqi currency, including the deletion of zeros, but this plan needs to take deliberate steps, and a stable situation in full so as not to be exploited in the work of fraud and others.

Keywords: Iraqakhbar.com

Iraq issues new Banknote Designs

By John Lee.

The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has released a series of new banknote designs, which will enter circulation next week.

According to a report from Rudaw, the notes are intended to modernise the currency and better reflect the nation’s heritage and diversity.

It adds that the CBI does not plan to recall old banknotes.

(Sources: CBI, Rudaw, Xinhua)

Link: Iraq-businessnews.com

“The currency of the relations” appear in the market amid objections

Sumer News: On Thursday, October 11, 2018, the new edition of the Iraqi currency with its various categories, named after the central bank governor Ali Al-Aalak, was circulating on the market despite widespread objections.

The market witnessed trading of this currency despite the popular and parliamentary objections on the name of the relationship, the new edition.

The central bank announced earlier, the issuance of new editions of the Iraqi currency with different categories, with some changes to some of them and write the name of the governor of the Central Bank, which led to criticism at the level of the Iraqi street.

The governor of the Central Bank, Ali al-Alak, is due to attend parliament on Thursday to discuss the step of writing his name on the new editions, according to First Deputy Speaker of the House Hassan al-Kaabi.

The central bank issued a clarification stating that “the banknotes in various countries contain the signature of the issuing authority, which is the governor of the Central Bank. The central banks have always put their signatures on their portfolios in different forms. Among them are those who put the name and signature of the governor, Without a name. ”

Source: Sumer.news

Detecting a major economic boom in the 2019 budget

BAGHDAD / The economic expert on behalf of Antoine on Thursday revealed that the initial draft of the budget law of 2019 included a major economic boom for the country by increasing investment expenses at the expense of operating expenses, which contributes to the increase of work and attracts large hands.

Antoine told “Iraq News” that “the fiscal budget of the country for the year 2019, included an increase in investment expenditures by 32 trillion dinars, pointing out that this increase has become this budget more than current operating expenses, which is contrary to the budget of 2018, which was operational higher Of investment “.

He added that “this increase in investment spending, will revive the private sector and investment in the country, which contributes to increase the recruitment of labor and reduce unemployment rates in the country.”

The draft draft law of Iraq’s budget for the next year 2019 revealed that the estimated revenues were calculated from the export of crude oil based on the rate of 56 dollars per barrel and an export rate of 3 million and 880 thousand barrels per day, including 250 thousand barrels per day of the quantities of crude oil produced in the provinces of Kurdistan Based on the disbursement of 1182 dinars per dollar.

The draft indicated that the total deficit planned for the federal budget for fiscal year 2019 amounted to 22 trillion and 873 billion and 365 million and 557 thousand dinars.

“The deficit will be covered by the deficit from the abundance of rising crude oil prices or the increase in crude oil exports,” she said.

The draft said that “the share of the Kurdistan region of the total actual expenditure by the souls of each province after the exclusion of sovereign expenditures, noting that the failure of the Kurdistan region to pay the federal revenues received to the federal public treasury will be deducted the quota set for them and the reconciliation is carried out later.

The draft banning the recruitment of all state departments in the manner of contracting with the possibility of renewal of previous contracts in the case of necessity and calculated the duration of the contract to install permanent owners of the actual service and stop appointments in the three presidencies (the House of Representatives and the Presidency of the Republic and the Council of Ministers and its affiliates).

The amendment of the tax rate of the Real Estate Tax Law No. 162 of 1959, amended under section 6 of Coalition Provisional Authority Order No. 49 of 2004, from 10% to 12% of the annual revenues of real estate properties.

Source: Aynaliraqnews.com

Kurdish deputy reveals important figures on the budget for the region for 2019

(Baghdad: al-Furat News) Revealed a deputy for the Kurdistan Islamic Group in the House of Representatives, for important figures concerning the budget of the Kurdistan region for the year 2019.

“The share of the Peshmerga in the financial budget of the Federal Ministry of Defense has been set at 37 billion dinars,” MP Ahmad Haji Rashid said in a press statement, pointing out that the total sum of 444 billion dinars. ”

He added that” Military, 738 billion and 91 million and 187 thousand dinars, “noting that” the budget of the Federal Ministry of Defense 7 trillions and 868 billion and 284 million and 700 thousand dinars and the number of employees of the ministry 184 thousand military. ”

Rashid,” The financial budget for 2019, also includes allocations To the forces of the popular crowd, “pointing out that” the share of the Kurdistan region is 8 trillion and 970 billion and 467 million And 226 thousand dinars. “Finished

Source: Alforatnews.com

Abdul Mahdi faces the biggest bumps by way of forming his government

Twilight News – With the acceleration of the pace of political events in Baghdad after a paralysis lasted four months, Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Adel Abdul-Mahdi himself today in front of a difficult test to form his next government, between calls for the selection of ministers technocrats and others rejecting the abolition of party quotas.

After many hurdles in the formation of alliances after the legislative elections witnessed by Iraq in May last, resulted in sudden political agreements on the election of Mohamed Halabousi as President of the Parliament, and then the election of Barham Saleh President of the Republic, and the appointment of Adel Abdul Mahdi in record time to form a government, It seemed almost impossible hours before that night.

Abdul Mahdi started a government-led campaign to launch a Web site that enabled Iraqis for two days to apply for a ministerial post, in an unprecedented and unusual move in Iraq.

In the other mold, the large political blocs in parliament seek to nominate their candidates, but they offer them as independents.

“All the parties are dealing with the same mentality. The party has seven or eight seats, and it has deputies. It has a ministry that will do everything it can to keep it, because it considers it an electoral entitlement,” said Ahmed al-Asadi, a spokesman for the al-Fath coalition. “He said.

But in contrast, Asadi believes that “the distribution of portfolios will be different this time,” pointing out that the quota will be according to political alliances and not based on the quotas of components, including Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.

Therefore, the Iraqi political analyst Hisham al-Aqabi that Abdul-Mahdi “in front of a great handicap and a difficult task,” as the political blocs “appear to be consistent, but in internal dialogues everyone wants to get the benefits.”

“The independent does not remain independent.”

The prime minister-designate pointed out on several occasions that previous experiences confirm that no one remains independent if nominated by a party, and therefore he is going ahead with the plan to minister outside the party framework.

The speech is almost in line with what is called for by the prominent Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr, who dissolved his coalition first in the legislative elections.

Sadr insists on a technocrat government far from partisan quotas, which are traditionally recognized in Iraq. “We have prevented the nomination of the ministries, but to be the prime minister’s hand, not a gift for blocs and parties or to be subject to quotas,” he said in a tweet last week. “It has to be independent technocrats, otherwise we would have a position.”

He himself called for opening the door of general nomination for specialists and competencies.

But despite this opposition and warning tone from Sadr, a senior official familiar with the negotiations told AFP, asking not to be identified, that “it is impossible for the political blocs to put candidates from outside for ministerial posts.”

It is likely that “the highest proportion of the names of ministers in the new government will be a surprise, as happened to the three presidencies.”

The same official confirms that the winning blocs in the elections will submit four candidates for each ministry, from which the prime minister-designate will choose the person he deems appropriate.

The same official said that the decision to name Abdul Mahdi came after the approval of the Supreme Shiite authority on him, although it does not meet the conditions stressed by the same reference, especially in terms of not involving officials who have participated in power in previous years.

As a result, observers see the political scene, that makes Abdul Mahdi “in the circle of control as it was the most appropriate among the candidates, but not desired.”

In this sense, draws the Iraqi political analyst Hisham al-Hashemi that Abdul Mahdi “will seek to follow the steps of maneuver and political silence.”

The quotas in Iraq have long been based on turning a blind eye to the mistakes of powerful allies in power, even if this reflected negatively on the image of the prime minister, in order to maintain continuity and not to jump and remove him from office.

Hashemi confirms that the outgoing Prime Minister Haidar Abadi, for example, had a “strategy not to anger the powerful partners in power,” which is the reason for his success, and therefore can not be prime minister-designate to “play the eagle.”

Keywords: Shafaaq.com