In an apparent attempt to respond to protests that have shaken Iraq in the past ten days, political leaders met Wednesday at the residence of President Fuad Masum and agreed to concede the final results of the country’s parliamentary elections, and form a government of services capable of ending demonstrations.
Iraq is currently conducting manual recounts of the elections in several provinces amid instability as many people in southern provinces protest the lack of jobs and services.
Participants at Wednesday’s meeting agreed to fulfill demonstrators’ demands on some services, mainly water and electricity.
They reiterated commitment to observing the constitutional deadlines for holding the first parliamentary session to ensure the election of a Speaker and a President.
According to a presidential statement, the political rivals also admitted the constitutional right of peaceful demonstrations on rights and services.
At a separate meeting headed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and in the presence of concerned ministers, participants agreed to form a “crisis services and security cell” capable of facing the current challenges and speeding up measures to respond to the protestors’ demands.
In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office, Abadi said “weakness” in the follow-up process meant that many projects, even those in advanced stages, were not finished on time.
It added that those projects can “provide a great service to citizens in the fields of basic services like water, electricity, health, schools, and job creation.”
Decisions taken at the crisis cell meeting reflect the pressure that Abadi faces by the demonstrators.
The officials approved six urgent measures to contain the crisis, including a decision for each ministry and province to form a crisis cell that would “deal with the demands .. and come up with quick solutions.”
Decisions also included a swift investigation into the demands of the people and an immediate start of training and rehabilitation programs at centers affiliated with the Ministry of Labor.
