The Iraqi Prime Minister spoke live on national television on Sunday, September 8, to reaffirm his desire to continue his work at the head of the government. However, his mandate has been shaken for several weeks by a phone-tapping affair involving at least one member of his cabinet.
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With our correspondent in Baghdad, Marie-Charlotte Roupie
Speaking live on Iraqi state television, Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Soudani sought to project the image of a government unshaken by the summer scandal. Last month, seven people were arrested in connection with a wiretapping case that allegedly spied on parliamentarians, including members of the Shiite coalition that holds the majority in parliament. Problem for Mohamed Chia al-Soudanione of his advisers is on the list of suspects.
The Prime Minister, who assured that an investigation would be carried out at the end of August, did not return directly to the affair during his speech. He preferred to mention repeated attempts to destabilize his government, before affirming that people using their positions to blackmail or violate the law would be brought to justice. This is an exaggerated lie. “, also said Fadi al-Shammari, a close associate of the prime minister, in an interview with an Iraqi broadcaster.
Some observers deplored a speech that aimed only to restore the government’s image. A cabinet reshuffle was announced, but it was subject to the appointment of a president of Parliament. A position that has been vacant for almost a year due to political deadlock.
The wiretapping scandal has sparked outrage in Iraq, which has enjoyed a period of relative stability since Mohamed Chia al-Soudani Sudani came to power in late 2022 under a deal between ruling factions that ended a year-long political impasse.
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