President ​Barzani: Iraqi PM Mahdi needs to be given 'more chances' for reform

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani has said that Adil Abdul Mahdi's cabinet cannot be evaluated based on only one year of work and that the Iraqi Prime Minister should be given more time to make reforms.

"We have to bear in mind that one individual in Iraq who is today the Prime Minister is not responsible for the bad situation gripping the country," President Barzani said of month-long protests in Iraq against lack of basic services.

"Rather, the whole political system of Iraq is responsible, from 2003 to date."

Powerful Shiite leaders like Muqtada al-Sadr are attempting to quickly oust Abdul-Mahdi from office, efforts which have yet to bear fruit.  

"It has been just one year since the prime minister is in office and of course he does not have the magic power to resolve all the problems within one year," Barzani said, adding that "he must be given more chances."

Barzani made the comments during a panel at a forum hosted by the Middle East Research Institute, hours after he joined Iraqi President Barham Salih in talks with heads of Kurdish political parties amid ongoing protests and efforts to make constitutional amendments.   

More than 250 have died since Iraqis began taking to the streets on October 1 to protest unemployment, rampant corruption and other issues.

Protesters have been met with live ammunition rounds and military-grade tear gas canisters fired by security forces . 

Barzani added that many of the proposed solutions currently on the table will not be effective.

"Changing the government, carrying out early elections and changing or amending the constitution cannot bring about any solution. The solution is that, today we, all the Iraqi forces, should find a different mechanism, a mechanism that meets the demands of protesters," he said. 

He added that the protesters, many of whom are youth, are hopeless and right to demand a better future.

"Regarding demonstrations, we see a generation whose ages range from 15-24. They neither remember the Saddam regime nor the coming of American troops. So, they have a reason for waging protests…they do not know in what direction their country is moving forward. They believe they deserve a better life which is indeed true."

"The message of people is clear, they are tired of the political system of Iraq and they are right," he said.

Barzani also drew attention to the many economic problems facing the country.

Iraq has a mixed economic system, combined with weak centralized economic planning and government regulation. Barzani lamented the control of government ministries over private firms, which he says has lead to corruption.

"It brings about corruption, and questions transparency. What grips Iraq is the economic system. Serious solutions must be found to fix to these problems."

To escape from the model of economic system it is pursuing, President Barzani proposed turning to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank for help.

"If I were in their place, I would call the World Bank and IMF to come and help me.. Iraq is a rich country in terms of human and natural resources. What should be done that is it a new model must be presented to run the country," he said. 

He also added that the Kurdistan region of Iraq is not isolated from the events in the Iraqi capital.

"In the Kurdistan Region, we are not excluded or we cannot consider to be outside of things happening in Baghdad. Definitely, in one way or another, what is happening in Baghdad will impact on the Kurdistan Region," Barzani said. 

At the end of the panel, Barzani branded the current developments in Iraq as a turning point for the country.

"In the past we used to say the Iraq before and after 2003. But now, we should say the Iraq before and after October [2019]."   

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