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.