Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Big announcement from the Council of Ministers -- will it mean anything?

All Iraq News reports the Council of Ministers will be reducing "the salaries of the Prime Minister, his deputies and the Ministers into 50%."

That's good for a headline in a news cycle but if it's going to actually mean something that doesn't cut it.

Haider al-Abadi replaced Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister in August.

But thug Nouri was prime minister for 8 years and his actions are not forgotten.

The Iraqi people rejected him in 2010 and he only got a second term due to the White House negotiating The Erbil Agreement.

His paranoia was always intense but after he stole a second term he had reason to look warily at the region.  What the press dubbed the Arab Spring was taking place and protests were going on in Iraq.

To stop the protests, in February of 2011, Nouri announced he would end corruption in 100 days (if the protesters would only stop protesting) and he would also reduce his own salary.

What his salary was he wouldn't say.

But it would be reduced!

If indeed it ever was, there was no way to prove it or check the claim.

He didn't end corruption and, when the 100 days was at an end, he didn't even try to pretend he had.

Announcements are easy to make.  The follow up is a bit more difficult.

A reduction in salaries could be a meaningful step.  Provided it takes place.  Provided the Iraqi people have a way to check that it has.

The first thing Haider needs to do is reveal the salary of the prime minister.


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