Central Committee Statement after the Resignation of the Prime Minister: 

Long live the People, the Creators of Victory

The following is the statement issued by the Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party on 30th November 2019, after the Iraqi Prime Minister, Adel Abdul Mehdi, declared on 29th November his intention to submit his resignation to the Parliament: 

Finally, the Prime Minister has officially announced his intention to resign.

Finally, after a long wait, he has taken this step. Under his rule, heading the Council of Ministers and being the Chief-in-Command of the Armed Forces, terrible events took place, with the loss of hundreds of innocent lives of peaceful demonstrators, thousands others were handicapped as a result of their injuries, many thousands more wounded, and rivers of blood were shed, during almost two months, in Baghdad and other central and southern provinces.

It is a shining victory for the great popular uprising. But it remains only a first step on the path to salvation from the quota power-sharing system and corruption. It is a necessary step to start implementing the roadmap that leads to defeating the quota system and corruption.

After the resignation of the government, it is now necessary to form a new transitional government with specifications that were defined by the demands of the participants in the Uprising. It has to undertake specific tasks that pave the way for early elections, and have wide powers granted by the Parliament to be able to complete the prerequisites of transition within a period of no more than six months.

The following steps are now required:

First: The President of the Republic should immediately and in accordance with the Constitution take the necessary steps to select a new, politically independent Prime Minister, in accordance with the criteria of patriotism, competence, integrity, independence and decision-making capacity. He/She must not have previously held a ministerial or legislative post. This selection must not be influenced by the quota system, regional and sectarian tendencies and narrow partisanship. The new PM must also be able to ensure the independence of Iraqi national decision-making.

The Prime Minister and the members of this government must be committed not to run in the upcoming elections.

Second: The Prime Minister-designate is to form the government of national figures who are competent, impartial and known for their integrity, and are independent of the political parties and blocs that have been in power after 2003. Women and youth must be represented in this government, and it is to be formed away from the quota system and in accordance with the Constitution.

Third: The main tasks of the new transitional government should be as follows:

1. A) To accomplish immediate and urgent steps to secure the people's livelihood and fulfil their urgent needs, and to implement the economic and social demands of the participants in the Uprising.
2. B) To give fair punishment to those who committed the killings of demonstrators and those who issued orders to them. To release all the detainees, the ‘disappeared’ and abductees, to uncover the parties behind them, to stop the campaigns of prosecution and pursuit of others, and to disclose the identity of the so-called 'third party' and any internal or external parties proven to be involved in targeting the peaceful demonstrators, and to take the necessary measures in this regard. To end the systematic campaigns to suppress freedoms and close satellite channels and radio stations.
3. C) To accelerate action on corruption cases, starting with the largest ones, and to bring the corrupt to justice and recover the looted money.
4. D) To prepare for early elections provided that they are preceded by:
5. The legislation of a new democratic and fair electoral law that enshrines the principle of citizenship, expands representation and provides citizens with convictions about the importance of elections and their participation. This law must not be designed, as it has been until now, to suit the influential blocs and perpetuate their monopoly of power and domination.
6. The election of a new High Electoral Commission which is truly independent and composed of qualified individuals from outside the political parties and blocs. The judiciary should have an influential role in its work.
7. Amending the Law on Political Parties to ensure a sound democratic political life, and the effective implementation of the provisions on the prevention of the possession by political parties of armed wings. To ensure transparency in their financial sources.
8. Ensuring effective international supervision.

Upon the completion of the above tasks and legislations, the Parliament must dissolve itself.

The Constitutional amendments required to be made will be one of the first tasks of the new elected Parliament.

1. E) To take effective measures to limit the control of arms to the state, to strengthen and conslidate the role of the armed and security forces, and they will encompass all armed formations.
2. F) Preserving the sovereignty of the Iraqi state, preventing external interference in its affairs and securing the independence of national decision-making.

Past experience has stressed the need to continue to exert popular pressure and to pursue various forms of peaceful protest in order to achieve the popular demands, in full and completely, and ensure the implementation of reforms and measures necessary to launch the process of comprehensive change.

Glory to the martyrs

Wishing the wounded speedy recovery

Long live the people, the creators of victory

Central Committee

Iraqi Communist Party

30 November 2019