Weekend Iraqi News CatchUp March 5th and 6th 2022 Iraq: Three political blocs agreed to pass the presidents of the republic and the ministers in one deal

Weekend Iraqi News CatchUp March 5th and 6th 2022 

Iraq: Three political blocs agreed to pass the presidents of the republic and the ministers in one deal

These are the articles I would have discussed if I  did a My FX Buddies Podcast

this came out last night

Iraq: Three political blocs agreed to pass the presidents of the republic and the ministers in one deal

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The Kurdish Barzani's hopes of passing their candidate for the presidency of the republic revived after the Iraqi parliament reopened the door for candidacy again For the position of President of the Republic in light of the decision of the Federal Court.

The two main contenders for the presidency became Kurds, one of whom is the current president, Barham Salih, of the Kurdish Patriotic Union Party. The second is Reber Ahmed, the candidate of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.

The Kurdish Democrat said that his candidate is supported by the Kurdish Tripartite Alliance, al-Sadr al-Halbousi, in a clear indication of the presence of Agreement to pass a candidate Barzani to the presidency.

Behind the scenes, the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, asked Barzani to replace his cousin, Reber Ahmed, as a leader Another member of the Democratic Party, al-Sadr justified his request with three reasons:

First: Reaper is unknown to the Iraqi people, and it is difficult to choose a president who is not known or known to the Iraqis .

Second: Barzani's candidate does not speak Arabic well in a way that helps him conduct dialogues with officials Arabs or Iraqis smoothly.

Third: He is from the Barzani family, which gives an impression of the political families' monopoly on important and sovereign positions in Iraq .

Political sources in Baghdad say that the name of the Kurdish politician Fadel Mirani, secretary of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, is on the table In the political corridors instead of Reber Ahmed, but Barzani still clings to his cousin.

On the other hand, sources in the Legal Committee of the Iraqi Parliament said that the door to candidacy for the post of President of the Republic It will be closed within three days, and the presidential election session will be held early next week.

Sources in Parliament say that the tripartite alliance, which includes the Kurds represented by Barzani's party, and the Sunnis, by the Sovereignty Alliance And the Shiites, represented by the Sadrist movement, will pass the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister during one session, indicating that the leaders of the coalition The trio agreed on the presidents of the republic and the ministers, but decided not to announce them until the decisive session was held.

Arrows in the side of the economy

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It is true that the dollar is the master of currencies in which the world agrees on its various transactions, which gives it the character of strength and a double-edged sword, and as a criterion for the strength and weakness of the local currencies of countries, but it is a blazing fire that burns the economies of weak developing countries. In a situation like the one that Iraq is going through, the country is located between two fires, the most bitter of which is the deadly poison, represented by external borrowing, and the second is the bitterness of fluctuation in its exchange rate and its instability at a certain price. Fire is a product of the countries dealing with the dollar and according to the mismanagement of dealing with the currency master. As for the first case, most developing and weak countries facilitate the process of external borrowing to patch up their distorted economic conditions, whether because of poor resource management or involving themselves in absurd wars and insatiable and insatiable events and sometimes due to force majeure outside her will. Here, the (reform trap) emerges, the slogan adopted by the International Monetary Fund, which offers its lending services through which services are apparently free and inwardly costly many times over.

His tips to create social stressor confuse processors. A return to the exchange rate crisis that is raging between the citizen on the one hand and the executive financial administration and the legislative authority on the other hand, when the financial administration began issuing its decision to raise the exchange rate in favor of the dollar with justifications that were realistic and acceptable to all, as the goal was to prefer changing the exchange rate over external and internal borrowing To avoid falling into the trap of reform and with the aim of addressing the lack of financial resources (liquidity) that do not cover the needs of the country, in addition to the goal of activating the productive sectors on the other hand. In the sense that her decision is sound. On the other hand, the citizen - as usual, is known for his honorable stances in adversity - succumbed to the financial management procedures, kept silent and waited. 

But what did the decision leave behind to provoke a whirlwind of objections and cries of restoring the exchange rate to its previous era? What happened is that the effects of the shock, and I mean the decision to raise the exchange rate, were influential in raising the rate of inflation, which is a natural thing, so prices rose at rates not parallel to the price difference, as some traders took advantage of the circumstance, so the relative stability of the Iraqi market increased.

After the improvement in oil prices, the citizen began to get restless about the situation and the reason was the high prices of foodstuffs and medicines, which is a general situation that did not include the fragile class only, but also included the middle and the affluent as well, due to the loss of control and control over prices this first, and then the promises of the financial administration were not implemented to address the issues of the fragile class ( the poor) and the productive sectors were not activated. The new tone or the pretext that the rise in food prices came to increase prices globally, and this is not true because the next increase is still on the way and has not started yet. It is necessary to allow the financial management to find the necessary ways and sound procedures, not patchwork, to confront the danger of the creeping global price wave that alerted us. About it here on this page in a previous article in mid-October of last year.

The dollar exchange rate .. a statement in support of the decisions of the Minister of Finance

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Today, Sunday, the economic expert, Salam Sumaisem, stressed the need to intensify the distribution of food rations and food baskets, to face the rise in the dollar exchange rate.

Sumaisem said in a statement to (Baghdad Today), "The payments made by the Finance Minister before Parliament were correct regarding the country's conditions, during the past year, the impact of the Corona virus, and the state of general closure on the country's economy," noting that "the administrative body in the Ministry of Finance had to break free from bureaucracy and take bold measures before the decision to raise the dollar exchange rate.”

And she added, "The financial resources should have been collected from taxes, customs, tourism, agriculture, and other fields, to revive the economy and address the effects of raising the dollar exchange rate."

Regarding the quick measures that must be taken if the exchange rate remains the same, Sumaisem stressed the importance of “strengthening the ration card, and intensifying the distribution of food baskets, by the competent authorities, to support the affected segments of that crisis.”

 

Expectations that the price of a barrel of oil will reach 185 dollars

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Economic analysts expected, on Sunday, that oil prices will continue to rise more than they are now this week due to the delay in concluding the Iranian nuclear talks, which makes it likely that Iranian crude will return to global markets that are already experiencing turmoil. 

And Reuters news agency quoted Amrita Sen, co-founder of the Energy Aspects research institute, as saying that "Iran was the only factor supporting the drop in prices that hangs over the market, but if the Iranian agreement is delayed now, we may consume stocks more quickly."

He noted that it would take Iran several months before oil flows were restored even if the nuclear deal was reached.

He explained that Brent crude may rise to 125 dollars a barrel on Monday, quickly approaching its highest level ever, which it recorded at 147 dollars in 2008.

The price of Brent crude rose last week by 21% to reach 118.11 dollars per barrel at the end of trading, and US crude increased 26% to 115.68 dollars per barrel, which are price levels that have not occurred since 2018 and 2008, respectively.

While analysts from JB. Morgan last week that the price of oil may rise to 185 dollars a barrel this year.

The government reassures the people about the Iraqi federal budget for the year 2022 - urgent

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Today, Sunday, Adviser to the Prime Minister for Financial Affairs, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, revealed new details regarding the current year's budget and its expectations for its actual figures, and what is the price of .a barrel of oil in it

Saleh said to (Baghdad Today): "When we take the spending ceiling that Iraq walked on last year, which amounted to 129 trillion, and calculate our account thus, the total spending in the current year's budget, then it is possible to put the price of a barrel of oil at about $ 70 or a little more than that, and here Iraq will be financially stable. "

.Do not be afraid if there is a fluctuation in oil prices And Saleh added, "The budget, if the oil price is calculated, includes 70 dollars in addition to the non-oil revenues, with its price determined as the budget of its sister last year, with the possibility of increasing its total to ten percent, then Iraq will be in a good financial position and a good budget going in Iraq for this year without feeling any financial risks because the price of A barrel of oil will be moderate ".compared to current market prices

And about the date of sending that budget, between the adviser to the Prime Minister, that "Parliament requested it, but the Ministry of Finance may return the estimates for its amounts then it is possible to pass it in the Council of Ministers and ".then take the path of legislation to the House of Representatives

The oil market is witnessing an unprecedented rise in oil prices, one of the causes of .which was the Russian-Ukrainian war 

Al-Kazemi stresses the importance of developing cooperation with Washington in 4 areas

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Today, Sunday, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi stressed the importance of solving problems by peaceful means and mutual dialogue; To ensure the security of the region, and to achieve stability and prosperity for its people.

 

This came during a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran Jennifer Givetto, in the presence of US Ambassador to Iraq Matthew Tueller.

 

The media office of the Prime Minister said in a statement, followed by NRT Arabia, that "during the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between the two countries, and ways to develop joint cooperation between them in light of the outcomes of the strategic dialogue, and in various fields, especially investment, energy, renewable energy, and addressing the effects of climate change." .

 

He added, "The meeting witnessed a discussion of a number of international and regional issues, and files of common interest, as the Prime Minister stressed the need to solve problems by peaceful means and mutual dialogue to ensure the security of the region and achieve stability and prosperity for its people."

A Deputy Calls On The Ministry Of Foreign Affairs To Open The File Of Compensation For The US War On Iraq

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On Sunday, the representative of Basra Governorate, Durgham Al-Maliki, called on the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to open the file of compensating Iraq as a result of the American occupation.

Al-Maliki said in a statement to the "Information" agency, "America occupied Iraq and destroyed it brutally, leaving millions of victims and martyrs to this day, so we call on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to play its role and open the file of compensation with the United States of America."

He added, "Requesting compensation for wars or occupation is the right of every country, as Iraq did with Kuwait, so Washington's turn must come today."

And he indicated that "with American testimonies, Iraq has been greatly affected, and there are brutal practices that have taken place in Iraq by the US military forces, and there is evidence and proofs that prove all the allegations on the communication sites and channels."

It is noteworthy that America entered Iraq, under the pretext of possessing what was described as weapons of mass destruction, which the Atomic Energy Agency returned and denied finding any evidence to suggest that Iraq has revived its nuclear weapons program since its abolition in the 1990s, but the invasion lasted 8 years until 2011, leaving behind the emergence of groups Terrorism, including the terrorist organization ISIS.

Parliament approves opening the door for candidacy for the post of President of the Republic

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 The Iraqi parliament approved on Saturday opening the door for nomination for the post of President of the Republic.

Shafak News Agency reporter stated; The decision to open the door for candidacy for the post of President of the Republic was approved by 203 deputies, while 62 deputies refused to open candidacy again.

The Iraqi Council of Representatives held its session today, Saturday, with the attendance of 265 deputies, while the Sovereignty Alliance led by Khamis al-Khanjar preceded the session by collecting signatures to pass the general amnesty law.

Parliament faces the challenge of choosing the President of Iraq .. Barham and Reaper are at the forefront of the candidates

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The quorum for the parliament session was completed, with the attendance of 238 deputies. Parliament Speaker, Muhammad Al-Halbousi, announced the start of the voting session to open the door for candidacy .for the position of President of the Republic

It is assumed that the Iraqi parliament will resolve the issue of electing the president of the republic within a short .period of time, after the Federal Court opened the door for nomination again With the presence of potential candidates, the nomination door will add to the list, Reber Ahmed, from the Kurdistan Democratic Party, which is something that the parties to the Triple Alliance must pass, by dropping the effort against .the coordination framework and the Patriotic Union

The next quorum to elect the president faces the challenge of passing the candidate who is able to obtain a two-thirds majority from the two Kurdish parties' candidates, Barham Salih of the National Union, and Reber Ahmed Salih of the .Democrat

Because of the inter-alliances, the conflict over the position of President of the Republic is shifting from being a .Kurdish conflict to considering it a Shiite-Shiite struggle between the current and the framework

The Minister of Finance announces a draft law to support the poor.. These are its details

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The Iraqi Ministry of Finance announced, on Saturday, that Minister Ali Allawi will submit a draft law to support the poor to the Council of Ministers in the coming days.

The ministry said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency, "After the parliament session held last Monday, Finance Minister Ali Abdul Amir Allawi presented an official proposal to members of parliament that includes a government draft law to support the poor and vulnerable in the current global financial crisis to help vulnerable groups in society, including Increasing social protection allocations, allocating funds to improve the ration card system, allocating funds to support youth projects, in addition to allocating funds to improve pensions for retirees and families of martyrs.

Finance Minister Ali Allawi confirmed, according to the statement, that "the draft law will be presented through the official contexts of the Council of Ministers in the coming days."

The Ministry of Finance expressed its "hope to pass the bill through the House of Representatives to achieve the goals of supporting the poorest segments and reviving the economic situation."

He revealed the reasons for adjourning the parliament session half an hour after it was held

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The Representative of the New Generation Bloc, Omid Muhammad, revealed on Saturday the reasons for adjourning the parliament session, after it was held in less than half an hour.

The parliament session, which was held earlier today, headed by Muhammad al-Halbousi, and attended by 265 deputies, witnessed a vote by a majority of attendees to reopen the nomination for the position of President of the Republic.

Muhammad told Shafaq News Agency, "Some political blocs did not present their candidates for membership in the parliamentary committees."

He added that "the first deputy speaker of Parliament, Hakim al-Zamili, had asked the political blocs to submit the names of their candidates within 48 hours, to take over the 25 permanent committees in the House of Representatives."

And Muhammad indicated, "After reopening the nomination for the post of President of the Republic, the matter will be resolved, within a period of 3 days."

 

The 2022 budget is similar to its sister..a new shock for the Iraqis regarding their financial situation - Urgent

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Member of Parliament, Aqil Al-Fatlawi, confirmed today, Saturday, that the approval .of the budget for the year 2022 will be long overdue

Al-Fatlawi said in a statement to (Baghdad Today), that "it is not possible to approve the budget until after the formation of the new government, and in view of the political blockage that has occurred, the formation of the government will be much ".delayed, and this means delaying the approval of the budget

He added, "The suffering of the Iraqi people is very great because of the political tensions, which do not seem to show any signs of a breakthrough in this political ".crisis And Al-Fatlawi, that "the Iraqi citizen put his trust in some political blocs, which made ".their last concern the interest of the people and the citizen's strength

A statement by Al-Kazemi's advisor regarding the price of the dollar and population growth in Iraq

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Today, Saturday, the economic advisor to the Prime Minister, Alaa Abdel Hussein, stressed that population growth in Iraq is one of the challenges facing the country's economy .

Abdul Hussein told the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "population growth in Iraq is one of the challenges facing the country's economy and at the same time represents an opportunity if we make good use of it, because the larger the population, the larger the market and the greater the business, and this represents an investment opportunity for companies that want to distribute their products." in this market .

And regarding the return of the exchange rate to its previous position, he stressed that "this leads to major problems at the level of the economy and to a lack of confidence in the market, so it is difficult to think of returning to the previous exchange rate at the present time, as Iraq's economy is currently working on the new rate ." 

Regarding the file of high oil prices, he indicated that “it is a double-edged sword, and when it rises, it will lead to a state of uncertainty, so there is no guarantee that it will continue at a rate of $100 per barrel. Therefore, most countries’ budgets are built on conservative oil prices. If a surplus is achieved, it transfers the surplus to what is not other revenue generated .

He added, "We cannot base the upcoming budget scenarios on high numbers, but we must be conservative, because we are dealing with public finances for 40 million people ."

He pointed out that "the white paper was launched at the beginning of August of last year, and now we have completed 6 months and the achievement has reached satisfactory rates by about 61% of the total achievement rates ."

He pointed out that "the coming period will achieve more achievements, and others may not see them, but it can be diagnosed, for example, housing initiatives for loans launched by the Central Bank as part of the initiative, where the amount was 45 million and now it has reached 75 million, and the number of beneficiaries of this loan is still large.

150 deputies..a loud surprise, the details of which are narrated by a representative of the framework regarding the stability alliance in Parliament

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Today, Saturday, Kazem Al-Haidari, the representative of the state of law in the coordinating framework, revealed a resounding surprise about the . stability alliance in Parliament

Al-Haidari said in a statement to (Baghdad Today), that "the coordinating framework is expanding under the title of the National Stability Alliance, as the number has reached approximately 140 deputies and is likely to reach more than 150 deputies ".before the next month of Ramadan

He added, "We are working to reach agreements with the Sadrist movement to cross the stage of political blockage. If no agreement is reached with the current, things ".will be very complicated