Iraqi CP condemns criminal bombings in Baghdad

Statement of the Political Bureau of the Iraqi Communist Party
About the heinous terrorist crime in Baghdad

The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party issued the following statement about the criminal terrorist bombings in Baghdad on 8th December 2009:

The vicious forces of terrorism have carried out another barbaric crime on 8th December 2009, which is a part of the series of bloody cowardly operations that began with "Bloody Wednesday" in September, targeting innocent civilians and seeking to inflict the most damage to our people and the biggest harm to the political process, and ultimately to achieve the evil objectives of restoring the rule of tyranny and dictatorship.

It is noteworthy that the terrorist attack, which caused the death of dozens of civilians and injured even a greater number of other citizens, came in the wake of an intensified political conflict that raged between the ruling forces over the undemocratic amendment to the law for electing the Parliament. These struggles were bound to have a negative impact on the security situation, giving impetus to the activity of terrorist forces that have committed this heinous criminal operation.

While we strongly condemn and deplore these criminal acts that are full of hatred for our people and homeland, we call upon the Government and relevant agencies to assume their responsibility to protect the citizens, prevent the recurrent deterioration in security.. to speed up purging the security forces of corrupt elements, pursue relentlessly the criminals; remnants of Saddam's Baath party, al-Qaeda, militias and gangs of organized crime, and bring them to justice.

We also call upon all the patriotic, democratic and Islamic forces, that are truly concerned for the interest of the Iraqi people, to rise to the challenges besetting our country and people, to put the national interest above any other consideration, and pool their efforts in the face of the activity of terrorist forces, to put a decisive end to it.

We extend our condolences to the families of the martyrs, and wish the wounded and injured a speedy recovery.

Shame to the enemies of the people and democracy

8th December 2009

Iraqi CP statement on amended Election Law

Iraqi Communist Party:

Amendment of election law is a deal
struck by dominant forces

The Political Bureau of the Iraqi Communist Party has issued a statement on 7th December 2009 about the deal reached by Iraqi lawmakers to amend the election law, shortly before a midnight deadline on Sunday 6th December 2009, in an urgent session of the Parliament to resolve the impasse. The following is a full translation of the statement:

"The Parliament voted last night, Sunday 6th December, to amend the election law on the basis of a compromise formula reached by the big blocs after intensive meetings and discussions that continued, with the participation of representatives from the U.S. Embassy and the UN, until the last moment of the period allowed to veto the previously amended version of the law. Under the new law, the number of seats in Iraq's parliament will be 325, including 310 seats for provinces and 15 compensatory seats.

Although the vote on the new version of the law has spared the country a political crisis and unforeseen repercussions, our Party considers the agreement that has been struck by the dominant political and parliamentary blocs, and voted by the Parliament, to be disappointing and one that does not change the unfair and undemocratic nature of the law. Our Party reaffirmed its reservation and abstained from voting on the amended version presented by the Speaker of Parliament. The amendments did not put forward anything new to address the serious anti-democratic deficiencies of the election law, in particular with regard to the first and third articles, which reduce the compensatory seats to 15 and adopt the infamous rule that grants remaining seats to the bigger winning lists, in flagrant violation of democracy and principles of justice. The amendments have instead consolidated the tendency towards monopoly and limiting the diversity of political representation in the Parliament, as well as unlawfully usurping millions of votes and confining the distribution of compensatory seats to the winning lists.

We have followed, along with the rest of our people, the regrettable spectacle presented by the dominant political forces as they were locked in an intensified struggle to redistribute seats among the provinces in accordance to narrow calculations, while pushing to the back, if not totally disregarding, the public national interest and the pressing issues of the people. This was done in favour of a discourse and practice that agitated and raised political tensions, fuelled sectarian polarization, and brought the country to the brink of a severe political crisis.

This attitude and behaviour is the basis for the political crises that have broken out from time to time, and its continuation will result in the continued outbreak of crises, pushing the country every time to acute crises and new tensions. It is also oblivious to the main worries and concerns of our people, large sections of whom are suffering extremely difficult living conditions, with the deteriorating level of services, unemployment, high prices, a security situation that is still unstable despite relative improvement, incomplete sovereignty and vicious forces that are hostile to the political process.

Despite the reservation of the Communist Party about the new version of the election law, we shall accept this challenge and participate actively in the forthcoming elections to get our representatives elected to the Parliament in order to defend the interests of the Iraqi people, especially the toilers, and to ensure achieving full independence and national sovereignty, reforming the political process and building a prosperous democratic Iraq.”

Aims of the People's Unity electoral list

Aims
of the "People's Union" (Ittihad al-Shaab)
Electoral List

The program of the "People's Unity" (Ittihad al-Shaab) electoral list, launched in Baghdad on 14th November 2009, contains the political, economic, cultural, social aims that have been expressed by the Patriotic Democratic Plan adopted by the forces, parties and figures of the democratic current that have come together in the People's Unity List to participate in the elections of the new Iraqi Parliament.

The program provides guidelines for the work and the struggle of these forces in order to strengthen the national unity of the constituent components of the Iraqi people and build a civil state; based on citizenship and institutions, in a unified democratic, constitutional, federal and fully sovereign Iraq.. based on the Constitution and laws guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of all citizens and ensuring a decent life of dignity for all its citizens, protecting the rights all citizens, regardless of sex, color, sect, religion, national affiliation and social position.

The basic aims of the List are as follows:

Goals to raise the standard of living:
- Improving the standard of living, combating unemployment, building and developing a social security network, expanding the network of social protection, and working to enact a labor law that ensures the interests of workers and their rights.
- Concrete action and measures to resolve the crises of scarcity of services (electricity, water and transport) and oil products.
- To tackle the housing crisis that has burdened the citizens, and to activate and develop government programs to support housing projects.
- Working to improve the health and education services, the free provision of such basic services, and to support and rationalize the ration card.
- Attention to the provision of municipal services to cities across Iraq (Clean Cities and Paved Streets).
- Formulating a new scale for the salaries of employees and retirees to ensure justice and the rights of all.
- Just treatment for people who had been expelled from their jobs for political reasons, and for the families of the martyrs and victims of the former regime and acts of terrorism and sabotage.
- To accelerate the release of innocent people, and those covered by amnesty decrees, from Iraqi and American prisons and detention centers.

Political objectives:
- To consolidate security and stability, to confront the forces of sabotage and terrorism, and restore normal life to the country.
- To provide the prerequisites for ending foreign military presence and achieving full sovereignty, including the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq by end of 2011.
- Adopting the principle of citizenship and providing the conditions for building the modern democratic civil state.
- To continue building the army, police and security services on the basis of professionalism, competence and integrity, and raising their capacity, enabling them to exercise their role and accomplish their tasks effectively.
- Activating the legislative and oversight role of the Parliament and the provincial councils, and to ensure separation between the three powers and the independence of the judiciary. Working to complete the Constitutional amendments so as to ensure enriching the content of the democratic civil constitution.
- Regulating the relationship between the Federal Government and regional and provincial governments and councils, so as to strengthen the federal principle and decentralization in state-building in accordance with the articles of the Constitution and its principles.
- Displaying competence, patriotism and integrity in the management of state affairs and the distribution of responsibilities and employment in state institutions, so as to achieve justice, provide equal opportunities and improve the level of professional performance.
- Activating the Constitutional article on restructuring the "Civil Service Council" that has the responsibility for the appointment of citizens in state departments in accordance with general administrative and legal regulations.
- Protection of public funds, addressing administrative, financial and political corruption, developing effective mechanisms to monitor spending, and to encourage regulatory bodies in the state and strengthen their role, ensure the protection of their employees, and activate people's control.
- Building a relationship of friendship, mutual respect and cooperation with neighboring countries and the world, so as to achieve joint interests between Iraq and those states, and to refrain from interference in internal affairs.

Economic and developmental goals:
- Work to achieve sustainable economic-social development, infrastructure development, and restructuring the economy to develop and modernize the productive commodity and services sectors and provide the prerequisites for scientific and technological progress.
- Protection of national wealth, especially oil, and to rely primarily on direct national investment in its exploitation and management. To employ these resources in the development of national economy and achieving social justice. And to regulate the management of hydrocarbon sector and to accelerate the promulgation of the Oil and Gas Law.
- To provide government support to the public, private, cooperative and joint economic sectors, and to give priority to these national sectors in tenders, contracts and investment.
- To rehabilitate the factories and industrial installations of the various productive sectors.
- To activate the process of reconstruction and give priority to the disadvantaged and damaged regions.
- To pursue a prudent investment policy by encouraging investment and attracting national and foreign funds to contribute to development and reconstruction.
- To accelerate the rehabilitation of the electricity sector.
- Paying attention to the agricultural sector and bringing it up to self-sufficiency, ensuring food security, paying special attention to combating desertification and drought, and ensuring that Iraq gets a fair share of water. s
- Organizing the commercial sector and the development of mechanisms and controls regulating the market in order to protect the consumers, particularly the toilers, and to ensure a good quality of goods and services.

Social, cultural and educational goals:
- Enactment of a new Personal Status Law to ensure the abolition of all forms of discrimination against women, respect for their rights and empowering them politically, economically and socially, and providing conditions to ensure their participation in public life.
- Attention to the internally displaced and migrants who were forced to leave their homes due to terrorism and sectarian violence. And to eliminate the legacy of criminal campaigns against the Faili Kurds.
- Paying attention to scientific universities and developing education and scientific research institutions, and to review the educational curricula in all stages.
- Embracing academics and scientific talents, and providing appropriate security and living conditions so as to prevent their migration. Providing legislative, administrative and financial prerequisites for the implementation of the decision regarding the return scientific talents abroad.
- To embrace culture and arts, ensuring their flourishing and promotion, and to reject any attempt to restrict thought and creativity and marginalize intellectuals and creative people.
- To ensure a better life for students and youth, and to provide all the prerequisites for the development of their talents and utilizing their potential.
- To respect the independence of the unions, trade unions, cultural associations and all the civil organizations, and to provide all forms of support to them, so as to enhance their role and contribution in public life, and to accelerate the enactment of a democratic law for civil society organizations.

People's Unity electoral list launched in Baghdad

People's Unity (“Ittihad al-Shaab”) Electoral List
launched in 18 Iraqi provinces

The democratic electoral list of "Ittihad al-Shaab" (People's Unity) was launched on Saturday 14th November 2009, at a mass rally held in the National Theatre in central Baghdad.

The list is a coalition of democratic and patriotic forces, led by the Iraqi Communist Party and includes the National Democratic Party (First), the Democratic Chaldeo-Assyrian List, and several democratic groups and personalities.

Mufid al-Jazairy, member of Iraqi CP's Political Bureau, opened the event by introducing "Ittihad al-Shaab" List, and then invited the party leader, comrade Hamid Majeed Mousa, to deliver the statement and programme of the electoral list. He was accompanied on stage by a number of candidates.


The cultural part of the programme followed with poetry and songs. The well-known poets Aryan Sayyed Khalaf, Nadhem al-Samawi and Hamza al-Hilfi, were warmly received by more than 2000 people who packed the hall. The singer Karim Mansour then presented a number of his popular songs.

The event received wide coverage in the Iraqi media, including the Iraqiyya satellite channel that broadcasted half an hour of the proceedings.

Iraqi CP: Unjust amendments to election law are real threat to democracy

Iraqi Communist Party: Unjust amendments to the election law
are real threat to democracy

The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party issued a statement on 10th November 2009, exposing the unjust amendments to the election law that the Iraqi Parliament had passed a day earlier. The endorsement of the election law "and the grave measures it includes, constitute a fundamental retreat from democracy in our country and a real threat to its future," the statement said. The party called on the Presidency of the Republic, which is in charge of ensuring adherence to the Constitution, to overturn articles 1 and 3 of the election law that was approved on 9th November 2009, and send them back to the Parliament to be amended so that the law is truly democratic.

The amendments to the law, passed by the Parliament after weeks of bickering among influential and dominant blocs, may have averted the consequences of postponing the elections (originally scheduled for 16th January 2010), and endorsed the "open list" system. But the party statement warned against the grave consequences of these totally undemocratic amendments and the gross violation of the rights of the Iraqi electorate.

"It seems as if the noisy verbal battles that accompanied the haggling during the past few weeks about linking the issue of Kirkuk to the election law were fabricated to cover up passing the above-mentioned measures with the votes of the MPs of dominant blocs, who were mobilized for the vote in an unprecedented manner."

"The Parliament, in the first article of the law, cut down the number of compensatory seats, originally allocated to the lists that do not meet the electoral threshold at the provincial level but achieve it at the national level, from 45 in the original law to about 15 seats! And when we know that part of these seats will be allocated to quotas for some of the ethnic and religious minorities (8 seats), and for the deputies who would be elected by Iraqis living abroad who constitute more than 10 percent of Iraq's population, we can see how this reduction is arbitrary and irresponsible. The seven or eight remaining seats will not be enough to cover even the votes abroad."
"On the other hand, this reduction (of the number of compensatory seats) effectively usurps the right of the lists that achieve the national electoral threshold to gain representation in Parliament. This reveals the selfishness of most of the dominant blocs and their disregard of plurality and diversity in the Parliament, their quest to extend full control over Parliament and the whole of political power, monopolizing and carving it up among themselves, in contravention of democratic norms."

"In Article 3 of the law, the big parliamentary blocs went much further in violating democracy and displaying blatant disregard for the voters. They have imposed, once again, giving the vacant seats to the top winning lists, rather than putting them - as obligated by democracy, logic and justice - at the disposal of the lists that attain the highest remaining votes. They have thus opened the door again to a repetition of the infamous experience in the provincial elections earlier this year, when the big blocs stole the votes of more than two and a quarter million people who had given their votes to other lists. This was used by those big blocs to grab additional seats in the provincial councils."

"What arouses astonishment and indignation is that the dominant blocs are repeating the same behaviour (as in the provincial elections), despite all the manifestations of popular rejection, protests and condemnation, which such anti-democratic practice had met at the time. It is clear that they are doing the same thing today despite being fully aware that it contradicts the principles of the Constitution as well. They also do so in a predetermined manner and in defiance of the voters and their will, and of their constitutional right to choose whom they want to represent them in Parliament and other elected bodies."

"The measures taken by the big blocs yesterday (9th November 2009) is a very serious phenomenon in the political and constitutional experience in our country, a heavy blow to the fledgling democracy, and an outright retreat from its course.

"This development runs against the expectation of national public opinion, which had been looking forward to a serious and positive move to rectify the deficiencies in the electoral law that had been in force until yesterday, in order to make it a democratic law that ensures wider participation of our people, especially the youth, a better embodiment of the principle of citizenship and the consolidation of national unity.

"It is our duty to warn against the immediate consequences of all this for the upcoming elections. It is well-known that the credibility of these elections could face a severe challenge due to the reluctance of a large proportion of voters, who are frustrated as a result of the policies of powerful blocs themselves, to go the ballot box. This probability is increasing today because the new law stipulates giving the vacant seats to the winning lists. The supporters of the other lists are wondering, and they are right to do so, what would be the point of their participation in the elections as long as their votes will go in the end, against their will, to the winning lists that they reject and do not want in any way to endorse."

"For this reason too, as well as the points mentioned earlier, we call on the Presidency of the Republic, which is in charge of ensuring adherence to the Constitution, to overturn articles 1 and 3 of the election law that was approved yesterday, and to send them back to the Parliament in order to reconsider them and ensure they are grounded in a proper democratic context."

"We also call upon the masses of our people and public opinion, civil society organizations and all those concerned for democracy and its future in Iraq, to reject the afore-mentioned articles and press for amending them so that law will be truly democratic, ensuring political pluralism and proper representation of all the Iraqi people."

Iraqi CP position regarding Election Law impasse

Iraqi CP: Differences must be overcome
to get the Election Law approved

The editorial of "Tareeq Al-Shaab" (People's Path), the central organ of the Iraqi Communist Party, published on 4 November 2009, dealt with the continuing deadlock over the election law. The following are extensive excerpts of this editorial:

Iraqi citizens have been following with interest the sessions of Parliament, waiting to see white smoke signaling the adoption of the new election law, either in accordance with the proposed amendments, or maintaining in force the old, and still valid, Law No.16 (2005).

It is known that the discussions on the election law have gone through various stages that witnessed a lot of debate and dialogue, and differences and deadlock. When the Parliament failed to agree on endorsing the law, it sought the help of the Political Council of National Security to resolve the problem and overcome the Kirkuk obstacle which was forcibly included in the discussions of the law.

Certain formulations were reached by the President, the Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament, but they were not accepted by all the relevant parties. They also faced technical barriers that were said to be connected to the electoral register in Kirkuk for the year 2004.

Observers of the parliamentary sessions about the election law and the statements made by the parties would come to the conclusion that the election law has been overburdened in order to achieve electoral gains in advance. The aim for some is to ensure that they maintain positions of decision-making, domination and influence, paying no attention to the repercussions of prolonging arguments and escalating sharp disagreements on citizens and their mood, the negative effects on the political process, and the resulting loopholes that are exploited by the terrorist and anti-people forces. Furthermore, continuing the state of indecision will have a negative impact on the participation of broad masses of the people, especially since significant sections express, one way or another, their lack of enthusiasm for going to the polls because of ruling forces and blocs have failed to fulfill their promises and the pledges they had made to the voters.

The past few days have provided further evidence that influential forces continue to put their own priorities foremost, at the expense of the general interests of the people and the homeland. It goes without saying that these forces will also bear responsibility for any delay in holding elections on schedule on 16 January 2010.

We reaffirm our position that calls for recognizing the importance and necessity of holding the elections on schedule, especially since there are amendments to the current election law which enjoy consensus. These amendments constitute in our view, in the current climate of logjam, a way to overcome this situation, endorse amending the election law, and begin the actual preparations for the elections. The amendments that are the subject of agreement are:

- To fix the election date on 16 January 2010.
- To determine the number of members of Parliament based on the statistical data provided by the relevant departments.
- To replace the word "voters" in the election law in force with the word "population" for the purpose of determining the members of Parliament.
- To adopt the "open" electoral list rather than the "closed" list.
[ i.e. whether voters will be able to read the names of the individual politicians standing for office, or whether they will be asked to cast their vote simply for anonymous party blocs.]
- To establish a committee made up of Parliament and the Independent Higher Electoral Commission, in cooperation with the United Nations, to check the voters register and put an end to the controversy over its accuracy and the harm it does to the interests of this party or that.
- To accept the election results, and to stress that they do not affect the legal status of any province.

If the intention is serious and sincere regarding amendments, then what is the subject of agreement, as mentioned above, can be approved and incorporated into the new law.

As for the issue of Kirkuk, it should be tackled within a constitutional context, and the solution is not linked to the adoption of the election law which is supposed to be comprehensive and covers all the provinces of Iraq. This legal context is based on Article 140 of the Constitution. The delay and inaction, and sometimes neglect, in implementing this article by successive governments have contributed to aggravating the matter instead of moving forward consistently to implement the roadmap set forth in Article 140. If this had been done and implemented, we would not have arrived at the point where we are now with regard to the situation in the city of Kirkuk.

Another factor obstructing efforts to reach a solution is the failure to conduct a population census, which, if it had been carried out in time, would have overcome a lot of present problems and obstacles.

We were fully confident that Kirkuk and other issues could have been addressed within the context of adopting the proposal of conducting the elections according to proportional representation and considering Iraq as one electoral constituency. This is a formula which we believe to be more just and democratic, a better articulation of the principle of citizenship, embodying national unity and ensuring the representation of all the political, ethnic, religious and confessional components in the new Parliament.

We stress anew the need to overcome the differences between the political blocs, confine the amendments to the election law to the points that are the subject of agreement, hold the elections at the specified time, and deny the enemies of our homeland and people the chance to inflict harm.

Iraqi CP demonstration in Basra

Basra .. Demonstration organized by the Communist Party
defends the rights of employees dismissed for political reasons

The provincial organization of the Iraqi Communist Party in Basra, in southern Iraq, staged a mass demonstration on Saturday 31 October 2009, demanding the rights of employees dismissed for political reasons under the former dictatorial regime. The demonstration was joined by hundreds of citizens and party supporters.

Tens of banners called for restoring the rights of people who had been dismissed from their jobs, that are guaranteed by the laws and legislations enacted by subsequent governments since April 2003.

The demonstrators shouted slogans calling for an end to the unjust measures taken by the so-called "Verification Committee" in the Prime Minister's Office by annulling previous decisions to reinstate former employees who had been dismissed for political reasons under the dictatorship. Thousands more such employees had their ranks or job titles unfairly demoted.
Demonstrators chanted: "We, the victims of the dictator.. shall not accept the return of injustice".

When the march reached the headquarters of Basra's provincial council, comrade Abass al-Jourani read out a memorandum from the provincial committee of the Iraqi Communist Party that took up the demands of thousands of employees who had been dismissed for political reasons. The memorandum, addressed to the Iraqi Parliament, referred to the injustice suffered by political activists as a result of the policies of the dictatorship under which Iraqis had languished for several decades. It stressed the need to put an end to all unjust and bureaucratic measures, and to assign the responsibility for this issue to people who give priority to addressing the grievances of the victims.