The Speech of the Former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi

Baghdad-INA 

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Our Great Beloved People

I am speaking to you today as I hand over the national responsibility of the leadership of Iraq to my brother, His Excellency Mr. Mohammed S. Al-Sudani, whose government program has been endorsed by the Council of Representatives, I wish him success in performing his national duty and continue the course of serving our people, and I urge all political forces to support every endeavor of the new government on the path of stability and growth and defending democracy and human rights, I hope that those who rose to take up this noble mission will not be subjected to, pressures and extortion at the expense of the interests of the people and the nation.

With all honor and pride, we hand over the responsibility of office and the country not only in a better condition but also that Iraq is the fastest growing Arab economy in 2022, with rates of 9.3 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund; At a time when the global economy is witnessing a widespread slowdown.

In the language of figures, we received a federal money reserve of 49 billion dollars, and the reserves today are 85 billion dollars; We received gold reserves of 95 tons, and now they are 134 tons.

We received a nearly empty treasury, and even the employees' salaries could not be paid. Today, the country's treasury is full, praise be to God, and it is awaiting a responsible and fair federal budget to spend resources on building the nation and investing in the Iraqi person.

One of our most important priorities was to preserve public money and increase the treasury and reserves, and not waste people's money, as some claim, intending to divert responsibility from those who are actually involved in corruption cases and creating confusion so that they have space for maneuver; All this is achieved even though my government was given the budget for only six months.

We said it before, and we say it today, that the economic crisis requires sensible long-term measures. We have laid its foundations in economic reforms that will continue to protect the future of our generations.

It is necessary to achieve political solidarity to support strategic projects such as the Grand Faw Port, which has made significant strides recently, and gas, energy, and alternative energy projects, hospitals, schools, construction, and housing projects, which have entered service or are still under construction; Maintaining and developing the level of economic growth that has been achieved requires solidarity among all in the spirit of brotherhood, not confrontation that weakens the nation and drains its resources, and waste opportunities for achieving the aspirations of the people.

With regard to the security situation, we hand over a stable security situation in which hideouts of terrorism have been eliminated. The security forces of all branches have been strengthened and provided with professional training, equipment, and armament, which increased the global ranking of the Iraqi Army from 57 to 34. The new government will have to build on and develop all of this and continue supporting the army and security services and maintaining social peace.

The social crisis that accompanied the public demonstrations in October intensified the atmosphere of mistrust between the people and the state agencies. So much innocent and pure blood was shed. We made every effort to restore the people's confidence in the state, and we worked hard by training our forces to deal peacefully with protesters and prohibiting the use of violence and weapons against them. We have adopted a policy of acknowledging the great sacrifices made by the young men and women of Iraq, compensated the families of those affected, and preserved their rights. We also call for the completion of this duty.

My dear people
Iraq is not an exceptional country in its political, economic, and social conditions. History tells us about many experiences, from Singapore and the UAE to South Korea, Rwanda, and many others. These people overcame crises when their political elites adopted a vision of responsible solidarity, not with the logic of gains and trying to devour resources and make partisan deals.

Yes... Our people can overcome all crises to create a reality and a future that befits Iraqis in the context of loyalty to the homeland and for everyone to realize that there is no path forward except dialogue, understanding, openness, and respect for constitutional institutions.

Our beloved people
This government has carried out its duty to hold free and fair elections with the testimony and praise of everyone domestically and internationally, despite all the unjust accusations and lies leveled at us, even though we did not participate in those elections to protect its integrity. We supported every effort to form a government in accordance with the constitution, and we pledged to hand over the responsibility of the government and to maintain the peaceful transfer of power, and we did.

Time revealed the lies and all the poisons and falsehoods that they circulated, which began before we assumed responsibility until today, as part of a systematic campaign of a vengeful political nature targeting every effort, achievement, and success by this government.

It is my duty to advise that partisan pressure and political blackmail for any government will hinder the completion of administrative and economic reforms, will impede facing the challenges of the future, and even hinder the duty to eradicate corruption, which, unfortunately, still has strong arms, and requires a comprehensive and firm national stance to eradicate it through support for reform and respect for the law.

Today, we hand over the responsibility to the new government, and Iraq is enjoying increasing regional and international respect. It has become a destination for resolving complicated disputes, in which regional and international conferences are held, such as the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership. My government has opened wide horizons of cooperation with Iraq's brothers, neighbors, and the international community. Iraq's foreign policy is in line with the aspirations of our peaceful people, yearning for progress, prosperity, and well-being, and adhering to their identity, sovereignty, and patriotic spirit.

Thank you very much to our beloved people who supported us throughout the past period.
Thanks to the revered good religious authority, which was and will remain a safeguard for this country.
I thank all the young men and women of Iraq who, through their sacrifices, demonstrated their care for the homeland and their awareness of the challenges.
I thank the military and security forces of all branches that have endured a lot to protect Iraq and its people.
I thank all state institutions employees, ministers, deputies, managers and every employee who maintained honesty despite difficulties, challenges, and temptations.
I thank all the supporters who provided advice, constructive criticism, and even harsh criticism.
I thank the professional team that has accompanied me throughout this noble mission, ignoring threats and abuses.
I thank all the countries and governments of the world, the brotherly and friendly ones, who have stood with us, and are still supporting us to overcome difficulties and confront and defeat terrorism.
And thanks and gratitude to all Iraqis in every home, neighborhood, and city throughout the country, who have been my family, support, and party since the moment I took office. I shall forever be in their debt.

Peace be upon Iraq
Peace, mercy, and blessings of God

Media Office of the Prime Minister
27-Oct- 2022