Baghdad protesters demand chief justice resign

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Hundreds of Iraqis took to the streets in Baghdad on Monday to call for the country's chief justice to resign and the names of corrupt politicians and officials be made public.

The demonstrators called on Medhat al-Mahmoud,  head of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council, to step down because he was appointed in by a political decision rather than elected.

Protesters chanted in support of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s reform agenda, which includes a plan to cut down the size of the government and rein in excessive spending.

It was the fourth demonstration since reforms were announced by Abadi this month

According to a statement by Abadi earlier this month, a committees to observe and monitor salaries for Iraqi officials are being formed.

The proposal also includes reforms in taxation and the government revenue system. The upper limits of retired officials’ pensions are to be lowered and customs tariffs will be imposed at all border crossings, including into the Kurdistan region, the proposal states.

Another initiative is to set up an Anti-Corruption Council and a campaign to tackle official graft. Transparency International ranked Iraq the fifth-most corrupt county in the world.