The chairman of parliament's accountability and justice commission, Shiite Member of Parliament Qais Chidhr, said that the commission submitted new draft amendments, which he believed to be a compromise between the Sunni demonstrators’ demands and the Maliki government’s point of view.
The implementation of the law was colored by political decisions. Maliki used it as a weapon to eliminate his political opponents.
During the 2010 legislative elections, Maliki isolated his opponent on the Iraqiya List, the Sunni leader Saleh al-Mutlaq, under a legal clause that excluded him from political action. Maliki claimed that Mutlaq was a member of the Baath Party and had organized trade deals with individuals close to Saddam Hussein. However, Maliki altered his decision after a partnership agreement. Their relationship normalized, and Mutlaq became vice-president of Maliki’s government.
A source close to the commission in charge of drafting the new amendments said that the draft will not include provisions to exempt perpetrators of crimes from sanctions. However, it will expand the base of those eligible for retirement and increase the possibility of exemption from sanctions. The source also discussed amendments that may wind up subject to political debates.
Ali Abel Sadah is a writer and journalist from Baghdad working in both Iraqi and Arab media. He was the editorial manager of a number of local newspapers, and was a political and cultural reporter for over 10 years.
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