As protests broke out in Iraq against the lack of services
and official corruption Prime Minister Haider Abadi attempted to tame the
public anger while pushing through some limited reforms that would also help
the government’s financial situation. His first step was announcing that the
vice presidents (VPs) would be dismissed from office. The fact that the VPs had
no real power made the move a seemingly painless one for the government. The
vice presidents and the ruling parties welcomed the move publicly, but behind
the scenes complained that the premier was threatening the quota system that
gives each party a set number of positions, which they then use to enrich
themselves and run patronage networks to maintain their supporters. The result
is that the presidents deputies remain in office highlighting that even limited
change in Iraq’s political institutions will be resisted by the powerful.
At the start of August 2015 Prime Minister Haider Abadi
announced his reform
program in response to the public protests sweeping the country. He said he
would cut the number of bodyguards that officials received, end provision for
top politicians, end the sectarian and partisan quotas, cut the number of
ministries and agencies, and dismiss the deputy premiers and vice presidents. 1st
Vice President Nouri al-Maliki came out in support of Abadi’s vision, but
others immediately began criticizing the prime minister’s ideas. President of
Iraq Fuad Masum for example, said
that Abadi’s reforms violated the constitution because it calls
for a vice president so the office can’t be ended, and that the VPs had the
right to appeal
the premier’s decision. Vice President Iyadl Allawi criticized the prime
minister for acting unilaterally, and Abadi’s own State of Law list warned
that one vice president had to be kept. Later, Maliki and Vice President Osama
Nujafi protested
their removals and started court cases to remain in office. That led Abadi to
go to parliament to request
a bill to end the vice presidencies, which would give him legal backing for his
move.
More importantly while all the politicians were going back
and forth the vice presidents all remained
on their jobs. By October Al Arabiya reported
that Abadi gave Maliki an ultimatum to leave his office within 48 hours.
Whether true or not Maliki and the others were still there by the end of the
month and collecting their salaries.
Prime Minister Abadi is mostly silent about his reform
program today. His first moves gained a lot of coverage, but his confrontation
with the vice presidents show how little room he had to challenge the political
system in Iraq. The ruling parties have all reaped the rewards of power and are
set against giving up any of their privileges. Even removing largely
meaningless posts like the vice presidencies that have no power was seen as
threatening, and have been effectively blocked.
SOURCES
Agence France Presse, “Iraq president says constitution
should not be bypassed,” 8/26/15
AIN, “Cabinet votes on cancelling Deputies President Law
draft,” 9/15/15
Al-Ali, Zaid, “Premature excitement about Iraq’s new
government reforms,” Washington Post, 8/14/15
Bas News, “Iraqi President: PM’s Reforms “Against Iraqi
Constitution,”” 8/11/15
Buratha News, “MP Talabani: Vice Presidents of the Republic
still at their posts,” 9/30/15
Habib, Mustafa, “Will Iraq Ever Change?” Niqash, 9/17/15
International Crisis Group, “Iraq: Conflict Alert,” 8/24/15
Iraq News Network, “A government source: Abadi’s reforms
only ink on paper,” 10/25/15
- “Parliament rejects resignation of Sinead on order of
al-Maliki for his parliamentary seat,” 10/18/15
Malas, Nour, “Iraqi Premier’s Rule Again Questioned,” Wall
Street Journal, 9/23/15
Shafaq News, “Maliki’s coalition calls Abadi to keep one of
the Vice Presidents of the Republic to ratify the death sentences,” 8/13/15
- “TV: Abadi gives al-Maliki 48 hours to vacate his headquarters,”
10/3/15
- “What did al-Maliki said about Abadi’s measures?” 8/9/15
Sotaliraq, “Presidency: Vice-Presidents have the right to
appeal Abadi’s decisions,” 9/15/15
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