Political and public backlash against the Iraqi dinar devaluation is mounting. According to Shafaq News, the parliamentary Hoqooq bloc, affiliated with the resistance group Kataib Hezbollah, on Saturday called on Iraqis affected by the decision to reject it and join the bloc in challenging it before the Federal Supreme Court.
“Taking responsibility is not enough”
Bloc leader Saud al-Saadi told a news conference that the problem was mismanagement and the absence of a real fight against corruption, which he blamed on every Iraqi government since 2003. Asked by Shafaq News whether Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi should appear before parliament, al-Saadi said the prime minister needed to explain the decision to the public: “It is not a personal matter. Simply saying he takes responsibility is not enough, as the issue concerns the entire country.” The bloc is gathering lawmakers’ signatures to call a special session on the dollar rate.
The Central Bank of Iraq raised the official public selling rate from 1,320 to 1,520 dinars per dollar. Governor Nizar Hussein told parliament’s Finance Committee that the new official rate of 1,500 is fixed, with the draft federal budget built around it.
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Four million workers at risk
Rahim al-Ghanimi, head of the Union of the Unemployed in Iraq, told Shafaq News that around four million registered workers could be affected as economic activity slows, particularly if factories and projects shut down. Sarmad al-Kawaz of the Baghdad Chamber of Commerce said rising prices have reduced purchases in markets. Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi, however, has said the decision will not be reversed.
Source: Shafaq News
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