RNA – During his Friday prayer sermon delivered to a large and fervent crowd of believers and mourners in the Iraqi city of Karbala’s Holy Shrine of Imam al-Husayn, Hujjat al-Islam Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbala’i stressed upon the need to protect the Iraqi constitution and said the law must not be used by the legislative or any other authority to circumvent or delay the reform steps.
The representative of Ayatollah Sayyid al-Sistani, Iraq’s most senior Shi’ite cleric, also called for coordination between the three branches of government to advance the reform process and warned members of parliament over obstructing the reform process, pointing out that the reform process can only be achieved with the existence of a serious will and sincere desire for reform and the elimination of corruption.
He said that from the beginning of the reform process, we have stressed that the reforms must not go outside the legal framework, but added that it is not proper that in regard to these issues where it is necessity to respect the constitution, that excuses be brought up to circumvent, stall or leave the reform process half-finished.
Hujjat al-Islam al-Karbala’i stressed that the authorities have responded to the demands of people for reform but warned that the reform of the government system requires the adoption of efficiency, experience and integrity and not partisan and sectarian quotas. “Corrupt individuals must held accountable and the government must reduce its many unnecessary expenditures,” he said.
His Eminence stressed that increasing public pressure in recent months has created a ray of hope that the authorities will respond to the people’s calls for reform, adding that these demands are legitimate and have been made appropriate due to the lack of services and widespread poverty.
The remarks came four days after the Iraqi parliament voted unanimously to bar Prime Minister Haydar al-Abidi’s administration from implementing, without its approval, key reforms envisioned in a comprehensive plan aimed at fighting corruption and reducing government costs in the Middle Eastern country.
As part of the reform initiative, which had been overwhelmingly approved by the Iraqi legislature back in August, al-Abadi eliminated three vice president posts and three deputy prime minister positions. He also reduced the size of officials’ security details and dismissed 123 deputy ministers and general managers.
Some of al-Abadi’s proposed changes to the country’s political system have been implemented but others appear to have stalled.
Apart from public anger over corruption in Iraq, the country also faces a difficult security situation. Gruesome violence has plagued the northern and western parts of Iraq ever since the Takfiri ISIL terrorist group launched its activities and took control of portions of the country in June 2014.
Iraqi army soldiers and the Popular Mobilization units have been engaged in joint operations to take back militant-held regions.
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