Thousands Protest against Corruption in Iraq Capital
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Thousands of Iraqis have demonstrated against corruption in Baghdad and other cities south of the capital.
Protesters have taken to the streets of Baghdad and cities in the south of the capital for weeks, railing against rampant corruption and abysmal services, especially power outages that leave just a few hours of government-supplied electricity per day during the scorching summer heat.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has responded to the demonstrations and a call from Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, with a reform programme aimed at curbing corruption and streamlining the government, but it is still in its early stages.
At Friday's demonstration, hundreds waved Iraqi flags and chanted anti-corruption slogans as in previous weeks, AFP reported.
Parliament signed off on Abadi's proposed reforms as well as additional measures, and the prime minister has begun changes, including the scrapping of 11 cabinet posts and for the bloated number of guards for officials to be slashed.
