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Iraq | ||
Iraqi Officials to Make Finances Public | ||
2004-02-07 | ||
Senior Iraqi officials, from the president down to judges, will have to disclose their personal finances under new anti-corruption rules aimed at keeping the country’s future government clean and prosecuting past malfeasance. Another step towards democracy. The rules, set by a new commission and announced Saturday, reflect Iraqi efforts to redress the endemic corruption that warped the economy and government under Saddam Hussein. They are also meant to show the Iraqi public that things will be different when a new government takes power by the end of June. "The commission will not have a magic wand to end all corruption in Iraq. But it’s a good start," Iraqi Governing Council member Mouwafak al-Rubaie told reporters as he announced details of the Public Integrity Commission. "It is nearly an impossible job to do."
Sounds like a decent watch-dog. The agency will look into cases dating back to 1968, when Saddam’s Baath Party seized power. After U.N. sanctions were imposed in 1990, crippling the economy and making resources scarce, corruption and bribery became rampant. Let the
Surprise meter didn’t budge that time either. Al-Rubaie said the commission would have to prioritize cases - "We have to concentrate on the big fish," he said, rather than go after lower-level corruption. He also said the body would not be distracted by Saddam-era corruption from investigating current complaints. "The Iraqi people deserve leaders who are honest and dedicated to the transparent governance of Iraq," the council said in its statement. Corruption "eats away at the very foundation of an Iraqi citizen’s faith in the post-Saddam Iraq." By jove I think he’s got it. | ||
Posted by:Steve White |
#1 Excellent! |
Posted by: phil_b 2004-2-7 5:22:15 PM |