Parliamentary pay rise stirs backlash

Though failing to ensure passage of a critical electoral bill, the 275 members of Iraq's parliament have voted to grant themselves lavish perks, including a major pay rise that has sparked outrage among leading clerics and the wider population.

AFP - An expenses scandal erupted in Iraq on Friday after religious leaders hit out at how MPs secured themselves numerous lavish perks while failing to ensure the nation's general election goes ahead.
  
Clerics said parliamentarians had approved legislation guaranteeing diplomatic passports for them and their families, as well as land and generous salaries and pensions, instead of ensuring a stalled electoral bill is passed.
  
Iraq's presidential council, which normally rubber stamps legislation, said this week it twice opposed MPs' attempts to secure the privileges but had been powerless to stop the law being approved at its third reading.
  
Under the law, an MP will have a monthly budget of around 25,500 dollars (17,230 euros) encompassing a salary of 8,450 dollars and allowances for up to 30 staff, primarily security.
  
They will receive 80 percent of their MP salary as a pension for 10 years after they retire, as well as a plot of land of up 600 square metres, Baha al-Araji, a Sadrist MP and chair of the parliamentary committee responsible for shaping legislation told AFP.
  
In addition they will not have to repay a one-off loan for up to 60,000 dollars to buy vehicles including armoured cars. They were eligible for the money under a law passed at the height of the country's sectarian insurgency.
  
The presidential council took the unusual step of distancing itself from the legislation in response to vituperative press comment over the numerous benefits MPs had discussed and approved during closed door sessions.
  
Under Iraq's constitution, the council can block legislation twice but MPs are then free to approve it if there is at least 60 percent support.
  
But the new law was criticised by prominent cleric Sadr al-Din al-Qubanji, close to Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, Iraq's biggest Shiite party, for sending the wrong message to voters.
  
"We have a big question mark towards members of parliament who vote with unanimity on laws that serve their own interests," said Qubanji in the holy city of Najaf.
  
"Why is there not such unanimity on the election law?" he added, referring to legislation designed to regulate national polls planned for January 16, which could yet be delayed due to parliamentary stalemate.
  
Mahmud Othman a prominent MP and member of the Kurdish alliance said the expenses law had been badly handled.
  
"I was against the privileges from the beginning and told them not to ask for passports or land because we are under criticism and this will put us under more criticism," he told AFP.
  
"I requested that these matters be subjected to open sessions in parliament and not secret sessions as it would double (the effect) of such claims," he added.
  
In Karbala, meanwhile, also a holy city, an aide to Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani, Iraq's top Shiite cleric, heaped more criticism on parliamentarians' actions.
  
"There are a large number of MPs voting for their own diplomatic privileges," Ahmed al-Safi said.
  
"When someone acts that way it is difficult to preserve the interests of his own country."
  
The head of the Iraqi electoral commission, Faraj al-Haidari, said on Thursday it is now too late to organise a general election for January 16 after repeated delays by MPs in adopting the electoral law.
  
The final word on the timing of the poll rests with parliament, which meets again on Saturday, but Haidari's comments are likely to put pressure on MPs to push the date back towards the constitutional deadline of January 31.

Date created : 2009-11-12