Mr. Abadi’s measures are aimed at the government, including removing top officials from their posts and opening corruption…
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Al-Jabouri said he hoped that “today’s move will be the first and not the last to continue in the path of the reform with the same spirit and without any hesitation”.
Large crowds had taken to the streets of Baghdad and other cities in recent weeks to denounce both corruption and shortcomings in public services, such as frequent electricity shortages.
One of the most drastic of Abadi’s proposals, which were approved by the cabinet on Sunday, was the call for the posts of vice president and deputy prime minister to be eliminated “immediately”.
The parliament also approved a separate package proposed by speaker Salim al-Jabouri aimed at ensuring that civil and security officials will be appointed on merit, rather than on the basis of sectarian or party political affiliation.
The parliamentary plan was also read and approved without debate, and the session – most of which was taken up by the reading of the two plans – ended some 30 minutes after it began.
He proposed scrapping Iraq’s multiple vice president and deputy prime minister positions, now shared out along sectarian lines.
While Abadi’s proposal had helped to ease some of the tensions, former American advisers on Iraq expressed skepticism ahead of the vote that any new anti-corruption drive would survive the country’s fractious politics.
Abadi’s measures included reduction of extra expenditures for the three presidencies and other government institutions in accordance with instruction to be issued later by Abadi.
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Mr Juburi said a complementary plan containing even more reforms was needed, and called on Mr Abadi to sack ministers who were guilty of negligence and corruption. “Reform is an important step and the prime minister’s requests are reasonable but some of them exceed his constitutional powers, including the dismissal of governors and heads of independent bodies and making appointments through committees that he has formed”.
