Friday 11 September 2015

Iraqi CP statement - Solidarity with the Iraqi People’s Uprising

IRAQI COMMUNIST PARTY
11 September 2015
Solidarity with the Iraqi People’s Uprising
Against Corruption, Sectarianism and Terrorism
Over several weeks now, since 31 July 2015, Baghdad and other provinces in central and southern Iraq have witnessed the rise of a broad popular movement that has not been seen for many decades in our country. It has culminated successive mass protests, the most important of which were demonstrations and strikes by workers and employees of “self-financing” companies of the Ministry of Industry.
This popular movement has gained momentum with the participation of hundreds of thousands of citizens of various social and political affiliations in all provinces. The political base of the protests, which were launched mainly by civil and democratic forces, has broadened and also received the support of the highest Shia authority in Najaf.
The popular uprising has come as an expression of the explosion of people’s anger as a result of the failure of governments of the sectarian-ethnic power-sharing system, both at the federal and provincial levels, and the inability of governments to run the country, serve the interests of the people and the country and provide the bare minimum of security and services for a decent dignified life, as well as failing to effectively combat terrorism and its instruments, including the terrorist organization ISIS (Daesh).
The deterioration of electricity supply in an exceptionally hot summer may have sparked the first protest demonstrations, but the people’s demands soon deepened towards pressing for resolute measures to combat corruption and hold the corrupt to account, especially those who hold leading positions in the state.  The mass demonstrations, that have been held every Friday in Tahrir (Liberation) Square in Baghdad and also in 9 other major cities, have regarded that combating corruption strengthens the battle against terrorism, as one feeds the other. They have also called for political reform and for urgent measures to reform the judiciary, without which it would not be possible to implement the required reforms.
Thanks to the national and popular character of the demonstrations, and the legitimacy and realistic nature of their demands and slogans, as well their peaceful and civil nature, they have exerted enormous popular pressure which forced both the government and parliament to respond quickly by presenting packages of reforms. The judicial authority, however, has not yet responded to the demands for reform.
The Iraqi Communist Party has considered the reform packages which have so far been announced as positive steps in the right direction that need to be complimented with deeper reforms. Our party has also stressed the need to maintain popular pressure to ensure the proper implementation of the reforms.
After five weeks of mass demonstrations, and nearly a month since the announcement of the reform packages, what has been achieved on the ground is very little and modest.
In view of the fact that the Iraqi Prime Minister has not yet presented his full vision of the reform process and its mechanisms, coupled with the narrow make-up of the political and governmental team which he is relying on to lead the reform process, and the resistance by  corrupt elements and by the forces that are harmed by the reform process, in addition to blatant external interference, it is essential to continue and escalate public pressure in order to ensure that the reform process is achieved in various fields.
Internationalist solidarity and support for the popular protest movement in Iraq is of great importance to ensure that it achieves its goals of reforming the political system, getting rid of the sectarian-ethnic power-sharing system, combating corruption and the corrupt, reviving the national economy, providing services and fighting terrorism and ISIS (Daesh). Political and moral support for the Iraqi people and their democratic forces is indispensible in their just struggle for peace, freedom and social justice in a unified democratic and federal Iraq.
Iraqi Communist Party
11 September 2015





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