Mending Iraq: Abadi’s revolt for reform

Yassin K. Fawaz reports for the Hill:

Iraq's prime minister Haider al-Abadi did his people, and himself, a solid on August 9. Faced by protests against government corruption Abadi pledged a series of reforms. One of them, the elimination of several senior governmental posts, might even lead to the sacking of the premier's predecessor, Nuri al-Maliki. That could only be a good thing. Despite being a serial failure as prime minister – the emergence of the Islamic State group is Maliki's enduring legacy – he parachuted out of the premiership into the comfort of a vice-presidency. Such reward for failure reeks of a crony state. Sacking Maliki would be a solid start to Abadi's plans. Under Maliki corruption became entrenched. Competent officials were often sacked and compliant placemen appointed. Abadi inherited a house of straw. He has rightly chosen to set fire to much of it but that decision came only because Iraqis, toiling in record temperatures with no electricity to power air conditioning, took a stand. While the populace boiled government workers and ministers sat in palaces kept cool 24 hours a day because they siphon off power. Such is Iraq's corrupt state.