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| Iraq |
| UN, US, Iraqis pressure Abdul-Mahdi to resign...Quitting quietly is safest solution |
| 2019-11-16 |
| [THEBAGHDADPOST] Last week witnessed developments at the political level suggesting the start of a serious international movement to pressure the Iraqi government to meet the demonstrators` demands and give up violence and repression in the street. This move began since the UN representative in Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert announced that the bloodshed in Iraq was horrendous and could not be tolerated. It reached the White House's call for early elections in Iraq, which implied the lifting of US support for Adel-Abdul Mahdi's government. This is no longer a secret for the Iraqi government, which did not formally respond to the statement. An official of Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "The recent US statement issued by the White House is lifting support for the Iraqi government, and demanding its removal by calling for early elections " Significantly, the day after the White House statement, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo telephoned Abdel-Mahdi for the first time since protests erupted in Iraq on October 1. Although the state media did not give details of what happened between the two men over the phone, Abdul-Mahdi rushed hours after the call was revealed to give a speech before the cabinet, broadcast on state TV. His speech was almost about demonstrations and general developments in the country and the program and reform projects that he has been talked about, frequently. Abdul-Mahdi said as usual: "A several-months-old government cannot be responsible for corruption," but stressed that the country needs constitutional amendments and reform of the electoral system. After Abdul-Mahdi`s speech, the cabinet decided to postpone the elections of the provincial councils, while approved the draft laws of the Electoral Commission and the Elections Law of the House of Representatives. Developments indicate a tendency to internationalize the Iraq issue if the government insists on pursuing its policy and trying to take time to extend its life |
| Posted by:Fred |