Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abbadi has issued a decree proposing the cancellation of the country’s vice president positions and deputy PM role. Aljazeera reports:
A statement on Sunday on the PM’s Facebook page said that Abbadi will also investigate corruption, reappoint all senior officials based on professional rather than sectarian standards, and reduce the number of security personnel protecting senior officials in order to cut down on waste.Abbadi held a meeting on Friday evening with a number of experts and advisers to discuss the administrative and financial reforms in his new bid to tackle corruption in the country. The decision to terminate the roles was approved by Abbadi’s cabinet on Sunday, but still requires parliamentary approval.Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister Bahaa al-Araji resigned shortly after Abbadi’s proposal on Sunday, Iraq’s state news reported. Anti-government demonstrations persisted in several cities such as Basra, Baghdad, Nasriyah and Najaf in the past two weeks over poor living conditions, including electricity cuts and water quality.
