Commemorating the fifth anniversary of the fatwa that led to the establishment of Shiite paramilitaries Hashd al-Shaabi, the Shiite Marja Ali al-Sistani criticized Abdul-Mahdi over his failure to fill top posts in his cabinet, tackle corruption, and improve public services.
Disputes between Iraq’s parties have left the top jobs at the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense unfilled, the Marja lamented in his Friday sermon, read by his representative Ahmed al-Safi.
“Corruption still remains rampant in the institutions, and the state hasn’t met that with clear practical steps to limit it and hold those involved accountable,” he said.
“Administrative bureaucracy, lack of employment opportunities, and an acute shortage of essential services, except for some late improvement, cause suffering for the people.”
Failure to address these issues could lead to the resurgence of the Islamic State group (ISIS), he warned.
Sistani’s criticism prompted Sayirun, the biggest bloc in the Iraqi parliament led by firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, to demand Abdul-Mahdi appear before MPs.
“We find ourselves obligated to invite the head of the Council of Ministers and his cabinet to appear before the Council of Representatives to present a thorough and detailed report the rate of completion of the governmental program and explain the hurdles that have prevented its implementation,” Hassan al-Aquli, head of the Sayirun alliance parliamentary bloc, told reporters Saturday.
When he took office, Abdul-Mahdi pledged to complete the foundations of the federal state and its democratic republican system, promote the rule of law and strengthen security, invest in water and other essential infrastructure, and strengthen the economy and public services.
Iraqis are “disappointed” with the current conditions, Aquli said, speaking in Iraq’s holy city of Najaf. The PM must provide MPs with figures showing progress is being made and evidence he is tackling corruption, he added.
Abdul-Mahdi established the Supreme Anti-Corruption Council in January to fight graft. Iraq is ranked by Transparency International as among the world’s most corrupt countries.
In March 2019, while appearing before parliament, Abdul-Mahdi identified cases of corruption in 40 different sectors of the state, including oil, border controls, customs, electricity, prisons, pensions, and IDPs, among others.
Aquli said little progress has been made.
The government is not performing “at the required level”, he said. “This is a fact we have to admit.”
The Hikma Front, led by Shiite cleric Ammar al-Hakim, announced on Sunday it will officially become the parliament’s first opposition bloc as a result of growing discontent with Abdul-Mahdi’s government.
As an independent technocrat, Abdul-Mahdi does not have a party or bloc in parliament.
Hisham al-Hashimi, an Iraqi security analyst, said in a Facebook post Sunday: “The future of ousting or continuing the government of Adil Abdul-Mahdi depends on the success of countering the complaints” of his critics, “especially countering the coalition’s MPs from holding the government on its failure to implement its programs and promises.”
The PM has already said he has no plans to resign, but has conceded parliament could oust him.
Changing the prime minister is solely within the constitutional authority of parliament, Abdul-Mahdi told reporters in his weekly press conference on Wednesday. However, “there is no fight in the parliament towards this direction,” he added.
Removing Abdul-Mahdi could undermine Iraq’s already shaky recovery, as local and foreign leaders warn of an ISIS resurgence.
Moreover, the uptick in US-Iran tensions could spill over into Iraq and further undermine its hard-won stability.
