Chatham House: Iraq is experiencing political corruption that impedes reforms الإصلاح

[size=52]Chatham House: Iraq is experiencing political corruption that impedes reforms الإصلاح[/size]

[size=45]Translation / Hamed Ahmed[/size]
[size=45]A report prepared by the British Royal Institute of International Affairs Chatham House dealt with the file of corruption in Iraq, in which it indicated that political corruption is the main obstacle to achieving a successful and efficient management of the country, and that the major impact of this problem is that it is rooted in the ruling elite of the country that dominates the joints of the state. and its institutions.[/size]
[size=45]The report revealed, through a meeting with one of the ministers, that he had no authority to choose a contract over the other that he was offered to sign. As his assistants in the ministry, who hold special degrees and who are affiliated with the parties, force him to sign the contracts of their choice and leave the others. If he disagrees with them, phone calls and text messages will rain down on him to change his mind, which is one of the scourges of corruption in the country, as described in the report.[/size]
[size=45]The report quoted one of the ministers as saying, “My signature is just a fingerprint after the contracts were approved in advance,” noting that every Sunday when he meets with his assistants in his ministerial office, they direct him to sign certain contracts and neglect others. And when he opposes or inquires about the content of a particular contract, he faces a rejection reaction from some of his assistants who are relied upon to run the ministry and who are in turn associated with major political parties, and he may be threatened.[/size]
[size=45]The report indicates that this situation is not an anomaly in Iraq, but is the outcome of the political system that has run the country since 2003. Many Iraqi government ministers openly express their dissatisfaction with their inability to use the power they are supposed to have to make decisions or pursue certain political agendas. Instead, it is the other affiliated employees in their ministries, who derive their power from the political parties, who actually make the decisions in the ministry.[/size]
[size=45]With the first years of the emergence of the ruling political system in the country after 2003, the interests of political parties and blocs focused on the highest official leadership positions in the state. Parties compete for the positions of the three presidencies, ministerial appointments, and directors of influential committees and bodies. During those early years of Iraqi rule, control over the security of a particular ministry was a gain of influence for the party.[/size]
[size=45]Over the years, the political parties in Iraq rushed to politicize the official institutions of the state and turn them into corrupt bureaucratic institutions. In all government institutions, ministries and independent bodies, parties appoint loyalists to serve their interests before the interests of the state and the interests of the general public.[/size]
[size=45]The British Institute report stated that among the important positions that grab the attention of the parties and are being contested, is the so-called "special grades" system. Hundreds of officials within politicized special ranks, spread across state institutions, have taken control of the government through these functions and have not been held legally accountable for corruption cases since 2005. During the competition between each other, the people of special positions use the assets of their ministries in which they work for the benefit of the parties they represent.[/size]
[size=45]Since the formation of the Transitional Governing Council in the country in 2003, five general national elections were held, during which six national unity governments were formed. However, the development of the political system during this period did not reduce the grip of the dominant parties. But on the contrary, the dominance of political parties over major government positions increased more, which led to the politicization of state institutions more.[/size]
[size=45]The popular protests that swept Baghdad and the central and southern governorates in October 2019 and lasted for several months, called the Tishreen uprising, focused in particular on their criticism of the ruling political regime. These protests were not calling for the removal of a specific party or leader, but rather an end to the quota system, which is the cause of the government failure that this regime has pursued since 2003. These young protesters were among the first within Iraqi society to conclude that the main obstacle to reform is the system of government itself and not a single corrupt person, which is the corrupt system that has enabled major political parties to share wealth and power by dominating state institutions.[/size]
[size=45]The report recommends that in order to strengthen the aspect of reform, there must be accountability for those involved in corruption files, especially those with special government positions in ministries. Both of them have a role to play in improving the transparency and accountability aspect of the government, by investigating corruption files in certain positions and identifying those involved. Emphasizing that any attempt to reform the political system in Iraq requires achieving accountability with those involved in corruption from various positions, and other than that, any attempt to reform the broader political system will be doomed to failure.[/size]
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find the corrupt an shoot them them move on to the next one. soon no more corruptation