IraqSide:Media
Daily Column
Iraqi Papers Mon: A Parliament on Vacation
Paper Critiques the Perks of Iraq's Deputies
By AMER MOHSEN Posted 1 hr. 45 min. ago
Az-Zaman
Az-Zaman
“
A parliament of vacations and privileges” was Az-Zaman’s headline on Monday. The Iraqi newspaper published a critical review of the perks granted to Iraqi deputies and reiterated criticisms concerning the performance of the People’s representatives. The Iraqi deputies are currently enjoying a week-long vacation, in celebration of the Norouz (the Persian New Year, celebrated by Kurds and Zaraostrian minorities in Iraq.) The Norouz vacation follows a month-long halt in the activity of the Iraqi parliament, due to a succession of religious holidays. In addition to that, Az-Zaman said that sources had leaked that a “secret” session of the parliament last Saturday was in fact devoted to discussing the compensations and retirement packages of MPs.
What exacerbates the situation further, Az-Zaman reported, is the fact that many Iraqi deputies do not reside in Iraq, preferring the safety and comfort of neighboring capitals, “while the people toils in crises,” said a citizen interviewed by the paper. Other interviewees were outraged that the parliament can hardly achieve the quorum when it comes to discussing urgent and critical matters, but “when it came to (their) salaries and privileges,” the session was held with haste and efficacy.
The secretary-general of an association called “the coalition for democracy”, Raheem al-Sa'idi, went as far as to proclaim that sectarianism and patronage have voided the democratic process in Iraq. Al-Sa'idi argued that deputies can bluntly disregard their duties since they face no form of popular accountability, due to the “political deals, sectarianism and consociationalism; which have undermined real democracy in Iraq.”
On the other hand, a spokesman of the parliament told Az-Zaman that the rumors regarding Saturday’s session are false; claiming that the deputies were actually discussing “sensitive” issues that could not be made public.
Al-Mada published an op-ed by Jaleel Wadi discussing the new project to build a “trans-sectarian” front in Iraq, which aims to undermine the existing sectarian coalitions and the current cabinet. Wadi expressed suspicions as to the motives of the promoters of the “national front,” and supported al-Maliki’s policies. Wadi went as far as to identify the “political process” in Iraq with the Maliki government, insinuating that the proponents of the “national front” harbor intentions to “undermine the political process.” In the Iraqi political lingo, the “process” refers to the political institutions built following the American invasion.
An intensive debate is ongoing in Iraq to assess whether the current sectarian system should be seen as a guarantee for a stable polity or an instigator of sectarian tensions and violence. Al-Mada seems to be defending the former view. Again, it should be noted that al-Mada’s publisher, Fakhri Kareem, identified himself as a “secular” Marxist for most of his career.
In other news, al-Mada reported that the Association of Muslim Scholars has condemned the practice of exploding chlorine-filled tanks in civilian areas. Such attacks have killed and injured hundreds of Iraqi civilians in the last weeks, and the Association’s condemnation is notable because the Sunni organization is seen as generally sympathetic to the insurgency and to anti-government factions in Iraq.
In pan-Arab al-Hayat, an interview with a Sadrist leader revealed that the Sadr Current is threatening to depose al-Maliki’s government if pressures against the party persist, and if the building of an American base in Sadr City gets underway. Thamir 'abd al-‘Ameer told al-Hayat that if the government supports the building of the American base, “we will bring it down.” 'Abd al-‘Ameer went as far as to claim that the “entire political process may be threatened” by these hostile acts against the Sadrists.
With the challenge of 'Allawi’s growing “national front,” the government’s parliamentary majority is far more precarious than it was a year ago, which – potentially -- gives the constituents of the ruling coalition a larger influence over the bloc. The Sadrists’ threats against the government (which were a staple of political life in Iraq in the last year) are more credible now than ever before.
Finally, Az-Zaman reported that Sa'dun Hammadi, one the pillars of Saddam’s regime died in exile in Germany yesterday. Hammadi belonged to the first generation of Ba'this, he was involved in Arab nationalist activism since the late 1940’s. After returning from the US with a PhD from the university of Wisconsin, he participated in building the Ba'th institutions in Libya, Syria and Iraq. He filled several high positions in Iraq after the party’s ascension to power, including that of the oil minister, Prime Minister and Speaker of the National Assembly. Az-Zaman said that he was “the first Iraqi to join the Ba'th party.”
IraqSlogger: Iraqi Papers Mon: A Parliament on Vacation