"Tidbits From TNT" Wednesday AM 5-18-2022

May 18

TNT:

Tishwash: The United Nations warns of "the boiling of the Iraqi street" due to the failure of its leaders

The United Nations warned of "Iraqi people's anger that may explode at any moment", due to the failure of political leaders to address a number of basic issues, including the suffering of the Iraqi citizen from poverty and lack of security.

Jenin Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN envoy to Iraq, said after a UN Security Council session that Iraq and the region could not afford to return to October 2019.

And she warned that "the negative aspects of Iraqi political life are still repeating themselves in an apparently continuous cycle of zero-sum policy," adding that "more than seven months after the parliamentary elections, several deadlines for forming the government were missed."

She also issued a warning to political leaders in Iraq not to hide behind the argument of not forming a government, which she said "distracts attention from what is at stake."

She added, "This does not justify a political stalemate in which armed groups launch missiles with impunity, and the ordinary citizen suffers. Rather, it justifies a political stalemate that is expected to escalate into public anger at any moment."

She stressed that the time has come to restore the rights of the Iraqi people, who demand adequate services for all their citizens. link

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Ivantulafitov: Video clip... A herd of camels invades the Al-Daghara district market in Al-Diwaniyah Governorate, southern Iraq. Tap video for sound it's funny hearing the guys laughing https://twitter.com/NewsShafaaq/status/1526881054870712320?s=20&t=xJct-Ha0Z-Wqoy7vn9kcUg

Ivantulafitov: Iraqi parliamentarians warn of the "escape" of the mayor of Baghdad, accusing him of being involved in corruption files. Yesterday, a letter was revealed in the handwriting of the former mayor of Baghdad, Alaa Al-Mimar, in which he attacked the political process in Iraq, and said that it is "lame" and its biggest concern is to make the state a machine for sharing the spoils by the authority.

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Tishwash: A legal expert resolves the controversy over the legality of passing the “new” food security law

Today, Wednesday, the legal expert, Haider Al-Sufi, resolved the controversy over the legality of the legislation of the Food Security Law, which was submitted by the Finance Committee of the House of Representatives.

Al-Sufi said in an interview with "Mawazine News", that "there is no legal problem with the Parliamentary Finance Committee's submission of the Food Security Law, as it is the powers of Parliament to legislate laws, and these powers are not prohibited or limited by the Federal Court, as is the case with the caretaker government."

Al-Sufi explained in his speech, "The decision to ban is for the caretaker government only, and not for the parliamentary committees."

It is noteworthy that the Federal Supreme Court decided, last Sunday, to cancel the draft law on emergency support for food security and development based on a lawsuit filed by Representative Basem Khashan. Ended 29/N33

The First Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Hakim Al-Zamili said, yesterday, Tuesday, that "the new food security law was submitted by the Parliamentary Finance Committee as a draft law and it will be read first by the House of Representatives, voted on and transferred for implementation by the government. link

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Tishwash: Payment must be made within a month.. Iraq owes one billion and 600 million dollars for Iranian gas dues

The General Director of the National Iranian Gas Company, Majid Jakini, announced that Iraq owes an amount of 1.6 billion dollars for importing gas from Iran, indicating that this country must pay its debt within a maximum period of one month.

In a statement to Iranian media, Chekini said that according to the agreement signed between Tehran and Baghdad, the latter should pay 1.6 billion dollars to import gas from the Islamic Republic of Iran.

On the other hand, the Iranian official noted that Iran must supply gas to Iraq according to the volume specified in the bilateral agreement between the two countries.

Gekini continued by saying that, given the circumstances of Iraq and its need to import more Iranian gas, it was agreed to continue and increase the volume of Iranian gas exports to this country. Baghdad will repay the debt owed to Iran within one month.

On Tuesday, the Minister of Electricity, Adel Karim, had complained about the lack of funding for the ministry, which affected the level of energy production and supply in the country, in addition to impeding the payment of debts and dues for Iranian gas supplied to Iraq.

Iraq has been suffering from a chronic electricity shortage crisis for decades as a result of the siege and successive wars. For many years, residents have protested against frequent power cuts, especially in the summer, when temperatures sometimes reach 50 degrees Celsius.

Iraq is holding talks with Gulf countries, led by Saudi Arabia, to import electricity from them by linking its organization with the Gulf system, after it had depended on Iran alone during the past years by importing 1200 megawatts as well as gas fuel to feed local electric power stations.

Iraq also intends to import electricity from Jordan and Turkey, in an effort from Baghdad to fill the shortage until building power stations that are able to meet local consumption link

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Tishwash: Al-Kazemi: It is shameful that citizens’ transactions are only completed by paying bribes – urgent

Today, Wednesday, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi commented on the failure to complete the transactions of citizens in the Baghdad Municipality, corruption and the .payment of bribes in it

Al-Kazemi said, during his visit to the secretariat, according to a statement by the Prime Minister received (Baghdad today), that "it is very shameful that citizens' transactions are not completed except through the payment of bribes, and you are required to work on automating work in the departments of the Baghdad secretariat ." .to eliminate corruption and provide services in a faster and greater way

He called on " citizens to submit their complaints to the Prime Minister's Office, about the bargains and the payment of bribes to which they are exposed, and we will open ".an investigation into them

He added, "Baghdad is the capital of peace, and the first university was in Baghdad on the banks of the Tigris River, which is the Al-Mustansiriya School, as Baghdad today is experiencing great suffering and clear neglect despite the government's ".support to advance the reality of the capital

He continued, "We are sad and pain when we see the reality of our capital in this way, and this failure extends for years, which is not appropriate for all of us as officials, so there must be an exceptional effort in Baghdad to create a social environment and stable municipal services, which will positively affect all aspects of life

He explained, " Our meeting with you today is based on frankness, and it is a new opportunity to build and rehabilitate the capital.

I regret seeing Baghdad in this state of crowding, and the impact of the absurd planning of influential people, which ".caused real estate prices to rise in certain areas of the city He stressed the need, "to reorganize projects, and work to raise the manifestations that are not worthy of an ancient capital such as Baghdad,"

Noting that "during the dust storms that have passed recently, we hoped that the Baghdad Municipality ".would perform its duty and launch a parallel campaign to clean the streets He expressed his regret, "I see the Freedom Monument and the nation's square in this situation.

We must work around the clock to rehabilitate it, and this is what we have been directed to do now and we are working on it. " Act honestly and that the .reports submitted are accurate

He pointed out, "The phenomenon of traffic jams in Baghdad is unacceptable, and there are some security controls that have become a means of obstruction, noting that "I make daily rounds and I see that some of the controls need the citizen an hour and a half to cross, so how will the citizen's confidence in the law be

He stressed, " working to activate traffic lights in the streets of Baghdad, to find a ".legal traffic organization and reduce crowds He explained, " It is unfortunate that Rashid Street has turned into an industrial area, and it is also unfortunate that no distinction is made between popular areas ".and other areas in Baghdad, and this matter needs to be reorganized

He called "all provinces, ministries and supporting authorities to go out to the streets and mobilize efforts to clean alleys and trees from the remnants of dust storms, and ".studies must be prepared to find solutions to the issue of those storms

He revealed his decision , " not to invest in Al-Rasheed camp and turn it into public parks, and we also directed to protect the remaining green spaces in Baghdad, and directed to set work rules that are not subject to diligence and unify work between municipal departments, and at the same time we cannot remain silent about the ".bureaucracy

He thanked the secretariat for the " work done on Al-Mutanabi Street, and we direct you to work on repeating the experience in the other streets and areas of Baghdad, " explaining that " the Baghdad metro project is one of the important projects that the capital needs, and it must be started as soon as possible, and also work on the river transport project, in a manner appropriate to citizens by providing organized parking .stations link

Mot: .. Really Nice and Sunny Out!.... gunna just Relax for a bit! ~~~