June 24, 2011
Bloated Cabinet of 45 ministers must be trimmed, says Maliki
Baghdad, Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Thursday it was imperative to trim the size of the government, the biggest in Iraq’s contemporary history.
He also added that official graft must be seriously tackled, and called on Parliament to expedite bills he said were lagging, and hampering his government’s work.
“Reducing the size of the government and all unnecessary positions has become an urgent need,” Maliki said in a televised address.
“Changes are also necessary in the number of ministries,” he said, suggesting the 45 ministries now in government were too many.
Maliki on Feb. 27 had given all ministers a 100-day deadline to prove themselves, warning their work would be assessed during that period and “changes will be made.”
But the day before the deadline was set to expire, he indicated no top politicians would be dismissed for poor performance, insisting his remarks had been misunderstood.
His comments ignited demonstrations in many parts of the oil-rich nation by people complaining they were tired of poor living conditions and the lack of basic services such as electricity and clean water.
Maliki said that the need to reduce the number of ministries and the size of the bureaucracy were some of the findings of the 100-day assessment.
A 2009 U.N. survey found that nearly half of Iraq’s working-age population was employed in government jobs. It said that 43 percent of all jobs were in the public sector.
Maliki formed a national unity government in December after months of bickering that followed an inconclusive March 2010 election. Ministries and jobs were then doled out along party lines. Maliki said that official graft was another serious issue that needed to be addressed.
He added that the Parliament, in which his Shiite alliance holds a majority but other Kurdish and Sunni parties also wield considerable power, must not drag its feet on passing laws.
“I renew my call for Parliament to accelerate the passing of laws,” he said. “The passing of laws by Parliament is slow, and negatively affects the performance of the government.”
Maliki is under considerable pressure, with his government facing nearly weekly demonstrations since the beginning of the year.
His task is made more difficult because U.S. forces, in Iraq since 2003, will pull out of the country at the end of this year according to a bilateral agreement, handing security duties entirely to Iraqi forces.
Attacks against government officials and facilities have shot up in recent months, as leaders bicker over key security posts still vacant.
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on June 24, 2011.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/Jun-24/Bloated-Cabinet-of-45-ministers-must-be-trimmed-says-Maliki.ashx#ixzz1QDO67vXI
Bloated Cabinet of 45 ministers must be trimmed, says Maliki
Baghdad, Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Thursday it was imperative to trim the size of the government, the biggest in Iraq’s contemporary history.
He also added that official graft must be seriously tackled, and called on Parliament to expedite bills he said were lagging, and hampering his government’s work.
“Reducing the size of the government and all unnecessary positions has become an urgent need,” Maliki said in a televised address.
“Changes are also necessary in the number of ministries,” he said, suggesting the 45 ministries now in government were too many.
Maliki on Feb. 27 had given all ministers a 100-day deadline to prove themselves, warning their work would be assessed during that period and “changes will be made.”
But the day before the deadline was set to expire, he indicated no top politicians would be dismissed for poor performance, insisting his remarks had been misunderstood.
His comments ignited demonstrations in many parts of the oil-rich nation by people complaining they were tired of poor living conditions and the lack of basic services such as electricity and clean water.
Maliki said that the need to reduce the number of ministries and the size of the bureaucracy were some of the findings of the 100-day assessment.
A 2009 U.N. survey found that nearly half of Iraq’s working-age population was employed in government jobs. It said that 43 percent of all jobs were in the public sector.
Maliki formed a national unity government in December after months of bickering that followed an inconclusive March 2010 election. Ministries and jobs were then doled out along party lines. Maliki said that official graft was another serious issue that needed to be addressed.
He added that the Parliament, in which his Shiite alliance holds a majority but other Kurdish and Sunni parties also wield considerable power, must not drag its feet on passing laws.
“I renew my call for Parliament to accelerate the passing of laws,” he said. “The passing of laws by Parliament is slow, and negatively affects the performance of the government.”
Maliki is under considerable pressure, with his government facing nearly weekly demonstrations since the beginning of the year.
His task is made more difficult because U.S. forces, in Iraq since 2003, will pull out of the country at the end of this year according to a bilateral agreement, handing security duties entirely to Iraqi forces.
Attacks against government officials and facilities have shot up in recent months, as leaders bicker over key security posts still vacant.
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on June 24, 2011.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/Jun-24/Bloated-Cabinet-of-45-ministers-must-be-trimmed-says-Maliki.ashx#ixzz1QDO67vXI
