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Tribune News Network
Doha
The Brookings Doha Center on Monday held a panel discussion to analyse the implications of current popular protests on Iraq’s future.
In recent weeks, tens of thousands of protesters have demonstrated against the government demanding jobs, services and the end of corruption.
Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi’s government has warned that there are no quick fixes to Iraq’s problems. However, Iraqis no longer trust their governing elites and the dangerous escalation has resulted in clashes between protesters and security forces causing more than a hundred fatalities and thousands of injuries.
The panel was moderated by Ranj Alaaldin, visiting fellow at the Brookings Doha Center. Panelists included Ali Allawi, former Iraqi minister of defence and finance; Minister Falah Bakir, senior foreign policy advisor to the President of the Kurdistan Region; Laith Kubba, senior advisor to the Prime Minister of Iraq; and Ramon Blecua, former EU ambassador to Iraq.
Allawi opened his remarks with a historical overview of the Iraqi state and its transformation after the US invasion in 2003. As a result, there has been “a complete failure of the government to provide what Iraqi citizens want.”
“The United States and the European Union have helped Iraq more than can be conceived, and there is nothing to show for the expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars,” he said.
Kubba alluded to the problem of institutionalized corruption and asserted that the main problem in Iraq is a lack of trust between the people and the government.
“To tackle this, there needs to be a body of respectable dignitaries to sum up the demands of the demonstrators and work with the government on a realistic schedule of implementation,” Kubba said.
Regarding Iran, he said, “Iraq can reach out to Iran and accommodate that economic breathing space in return for Iran to let go of some corrupt blocs.”
On his part, Bakir highlighted the importance of genuine dialogue in order to find a solution and maintain stability.
He said, “We have to open a new chapter that meets the needs of the people and the government must listen to them and not engage in violence against the protesters. We have an opportunity today to engage in a national dialogue to make a difference in people’s lives within six months to a year.”
Blecua asserted that economic reform was the key to the solution. He said, “Previous Iraqi governments have bought time to try to create jobs for the youth in the public sector. Instead, there should have been more economic openness and better utility of resources. The government should be held accountable for that.”
He also underscored the need to reform the banking system and to create a sovereign fund like other oil-producing countries.
“This would be easy, quick and would have a tremendous impact,” he said.
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15/11/2019
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