'Some can not move freely on the street'
Former prime minister Haidar Al-Abadi criticises Iraqi politicians at Baghdad book fair
BAGHDAD – During a session at the “Iraq Book Fair,” organized by Al-Mada Foundation in Baghdad, former Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi offered a critical analysis of Iraq’s current political landscape. In a discussion led by journalist Yasser Al-Salem, Al-Abadi declined to take questions from the audience, focusing instead on a dialogue with the session’s moderator. He pointed out that Iraq’s political system lacks many aspects of a complete democracy and that Iraqi politicians can no longer move freely in the streets.
Al-Abadi, in his remarks reported by a correspondent for 964media, stated, “What we have now is not a full democratic system, as it lacks many essentials. We must remember that the change did not happen due to an Iraqi initiative. Iraqis were opposing the oppressive totalitarian class, and when they found the opportunity, they seized it, leading to the system’s collapse in an instant.”
He reflected on the opposition’s vision for governing the country and the external (American) decisive role in the 2003 regime change. “The regime and all its institutions collapsed when Saddam deceived people with the ‘Quds Army,’ which only had 7,000 fighters. The Americans had a project for change but lacked a genuine reconstruction plan. Despite having power, they did not have a real building project,” Al-Abadi explained.
Al-Abadi also discussed the challenges faced by the new state, including attempts by remnants of the former regime to destroy the new state structure, the role of the Ba’th party alongside ISIS, and the transformation of some Ba’thists into ideologues following the fall of Mosul.
He concluded by saying that “some politicians lack self-confidence, hence their fear of competent people and their rejection of them assuming high positions. A political review is necessary; it has become difficult for a politician to walk freely in the street, indicating another danger beyond the threat of terrorism.”