Iraqi CP's mass meeting in Babil province

At a public meeting in Hilla
Mufid al- Jazairy: Kirkuk issue is a mine
in the path of endorsing the election law

Mufid al- Jazairy, member of the Political Bureau of the Iraqi Communist Party, said that the ongoing conflict in Parliament is part of the electoral process that had begun with the provincial elections earlier this year, which produced a new situation and fear among some parties that they could lose their positions after realizing that the voters had let them down.

Al-Jazairy was speaking at a public mass meeting organized on 23 October 2009 by the party's provincial organization in Hilla in Babil governorate (province) in central Iraq. The meeting was chaired by Dr Ali Ibrahim, member of the Central Committee. Comrade Al-Jazairy said: "The Party has sought to draw lessons from previous electoral experiences, and to formulate an election law that would prevent manipulation and fraud. But a mine has been placed in the way, which is the issue of Kirkuk that has nothing to do with the election law because it had been dealt with in the Constitution. However, some have insisted on keeping this mine in place, because they want to conduct the elections without making any amendment to the election law."

He added: "The election law which is to be adopted is not yet known," pointing out that "there are influential forces that claim to be in favor of the open electoral list, while they actually fight hard behind the scenes to keep the closed list system."

"Our battle has been continuing since the beginning of the year, and all the struggles that are taking place, whether inside or outside the Parliament, are struggles over the elections. The new Iraqi state has not yet been built, and each party is exerting efforts to contribute to shaping the character of this state according to its whims. Today we are in an unenviable state, as MPs behave in Parliament under directives from their respective blocs, with their positions being determined by their political leaders. These political leaderships should therefore be held accountable and responsible. It is better to call upon these leaders to settle the dispute over the election law instead of the National Political Council."

Al-Jazairy said: "More than six years after the fall of the former regime, there has been no movement forward. No steps have been taken to resolve the issue of unemployment; no progress has been achieved in the area of services, and nothing has been done to solve the difficult problem of housing. What is required is to act with vigor to bring about change.

"The composition of the Parliament should be changed, and the means for change is in our hands. If the Parliament remains unchanged, the people will suffer enormously. We must do our duty, because the only force capable of achieving the objectives of Iraq is the patriots who care about the homeland. We believe that the future belongs to the democratic current, because it is the only one capable of getting Iraq out of this critical impasse, and we rely on ourselves and on the broad current which is today facing a lot of problems."

He said: "The Communists want a real change, and this is what awaits us in the coming period. We should mobilize and muster our forces, and we have to show others the correct path, urge them to go to the polls, and explain to them the right option whose triumph would ensure building the country."

"Tareeq Al-Shaab" (People's Path), the central organ of the Iraqi Communist Party.
25 October 2009