By Haider Al-Abadi
On May 12, Iraq held
its fourth national elections since 2003. More than 10 million people turned up
at polling stations. Men and women alike voted freely — a rarity in the Middle
East, and something that Iraqis can be proud of. Despite a lower turnout than
was expected, voters leaned toward cross-sectarian lists rather than the ethnic
or sect-based groupings that dominated previous elections.
I myself campaigned in
all 18 provinces, and our coalition won seats in 14 of those, something no
other list was able to achieve. While there are irregularities that need to be
addressed by the Independent High Electoral Commission, I have called on all sides
to respect the final results and address any complaints through due legal
process.
My government will do
all it can to ensure that the transition to the next government is conducted in
a stable and transparent manner, providing the basis for a strong, democratic
order based on the rule of law. I have called for dialogue with the other
coalitions to form a government predicated on the following criteria: a
reform-based agenda that builds on the successful policies of the current
government; achieving economic prosperity, maintaining our non-aligned
diplomatic stance with other countries based on mutual interests, and
protecting our security gains and ensuring terrorist groups do not return. At
no point will I consider working with those who are either tainted by
corruption or known for sectarianism. Any potential ministers must be
technocrats, and the new government must be demonstrably non-elitist,
representative of the people rather than dominated by one side or denomination.
There are three
concerns every Iraqi prioritizes, wherever they are from: fighting corruption,
providing job opportunities and improving service delivery. These are the same
priorities to which I am committed. They require a steady hand, an informed
perspective and patience to stay the course. During the past four years, along
with liberating our country from terrorism, helping internally displaced people
return home, and improving security to the best level since 2003, I have led my
government through the hard work necessary to achieve these aims. We took on
these commitments despite historically low oil prices, which led to austerity
measures that were necessary to pull us out of a fiscal crisis. We are now in a
better position as a nation. Our security forces have defeated the enemies that
threatened us, and we stand ready to rebuild our country and economy.
I said in October that
our nation would remain united, and it has. I vowed that elections would be
held on time in every part of the country, and they have. I promised our people
that we would liberate our land from terrorism, and this has been delivered. I
now declare to our people that the next four years will witness a tremendous
transformation for Iraq, if the right government is in place. My vision is to
reform our economy and defeat corruption, provide jobs to the millions of young
people who make up the majority of our population, continue the improvement of
public services, and ensure that human rights and female empowerment are
actively pursued and justice is extended to all. If chosen as prime minister
again, I will fight to achieve these critical advances every day that I lead
the country.
The international
community has been supportive of Iraq over the past four years. We now look to
extend this partnership to make it a better deal for all by focusing on economic
ties and sustainable development. Iraq’s economy is hungry for growth. The
recent investment conference in Kuwait showed that tens of billions of dollars
worth of foreign investment are ready to be allocated to both public- and
private-sector firms. A stable and progressive Iraq is good for the entire
Middle East, and it will also lead to positive economic impact in other
countries, including the United States, through maintaining regional security,
job creation, advancing for manufacturing industries, and increasing export
potential. Iraq is no longer in need of aid, it is ready to work with other
nations to mutually benefit our economies.
As prime minister, I
will commit to keeping Iraq on its current course of recovery and building a
better future. I pledge to protect the people of Iraq by avoiding regional
struggles and rejecting interference in our domestic affairs, as we, in turn,
respect the sovereignty of other nations. Iraq is free today, and its people
can choose their leaders and criticize them without fear of repercussion. A
whole generation of lawmakers and politicians has now been replaced by new
faces, and our coalition is proud to have been at the forefront of this change.
We are now ready to work with the other parties who have also won mandates from
our people to form a new government. A stable and prosperous Iraq can play a
major role in making the region and the world a better place. This effort
should be supported by regional and international partners, who, we hope, will
back our reform agenda for a new Iraq.
Source: washingtonpost