Abadi pledges to fight corruption, prepare reform plan
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has pledged to fight corruption and prepare a comprehensive reform plan following a call by the country's most senior Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
The premier "pledges to announce a comprehensive plan of reform and work on the implementation" of it, his office said in a statement following Sistani's Friday prayers sermon delivered by his representative Ahmed al-Safi in the holy city of Karbala.
Abadi is "fully committed to the valued guidance of the supreme religious authority," the statement added.
It also said Abadi would draft a plan to fight graft, calling on political parties to contribute to the measure.
Earlier in the day, Sistani had addressed the prime minister in the sermon, urging him to resolve internal issues in the government.
The premier must be more "daring and courageous" in his efforts to reform the government, Sistani had said, calling on Abadi to strike "with an iron fist anyone who is tampering with the people's money."
Abadi assumed power almost a year ago vowing tough action against corruption.
Iraqi people have recently staged protest rallies in a number of cities against alleged graft among government officials and the shortage of electricity and water.
On Friday, several thousand people in the capital Baghdad held a protest against the lack of electricity.
Members of the Popular Mobilization units, which fight the ISIL terrorists operating in the country, handed out ice water bottles to the protesters in a move welcomed by the ralliers’ roaring shouts.
Similar demonstrations were also held in the cities of Najaf, Karbala, Basra, Hilla, Nasiriyah, and Diwaniyah.
Having an average of seven hours of electricity per day, Iraqi households are faced with hazardous conditions during this summer’s relentless heat, with temperatures surpassing 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).
Iraq’s infrastructure, including the power grid, has been seriously damaged due to years of US-led sanctions on the country, followed by the 2003 invasion and occupation.
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