Pressure Points: Iraqi MPs Challenge Government Accountability Amid Political Stalemate
"There are ministers and officials who must be held accountable and dismissed for their failures during the past period," MP Kazem al-Fayyadh.
Jan. 27, 2025
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Kazem al-Fayyadh, a member of the Iraqi Parliament from the Emtidad Movement, stated on Sunday that political pressures continue to disrupt the Parliament's oversight role.
In a statement to the "Baghdad Today" news outlet, al-Fayyadh remarked, "Despite the onset of the new legislative session, the oversight role remains suspended due to political pressures from influential powers unwilling to hold any affiliated officials accountable." He added, "On this basis, the interrogation files have been stalled, despite their submission along with parliamentary signatures to hasten their inclusion in the agenda of upcoming sessions."
He continued, "With the parliament sessions resuming in the next two days, we will press the presidency of the Council of Representatives to activate the interrogation files." He added, "There are ministers and officials who must be held accountable and dismissed for their failures during the past period, especially given the suspicions of corruption in some contracts within their institutions."
Recent reports suggest that several members of parliament have confirmed their intention to initiate questioning of ministers in upcoming sessions. This move aims to evaluate the government's performance and hold those negligent in managing their ministerial duties accountable. They also noted that the lack of political consensus on ministerial changes should not serve as an excuse for maintaining the status quo.
The Emtidad Movement, sometimes known as the Extension Movement, is an Iraqi political party founded in early December 2020. Established by Alaa Al Rikabi, a doctor and civil activist, alongside other activists within a tent at Al-Haboubi Square - the epicenter of the 2019 - 2021 Iraqi protests in central DhiQar governorate - the party aimed to create a youth-driven civil movement as an alternative to the existing political entities. These parties, they claim, have failed to govern effectively, have engaged in financial corruption, fueled sectarianism and racism, and perpetuated various crises in the country since 2003. The movement, officially announced in January 2021 and named "extension," symbolizes a continuation of the protesters' demands for an end to sectarianism and state corruption.
The issue of corruption in Iraq has deep roots and broad implications, affecting every layer of society. While it significantly hampers development and the provision of essential services, the emotional and psychological toll on the Iraqi populace is profound.
