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Iraqi PM cuts ministerial advisor positions in reform plan

Xinhua, August 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Tuesday canceled positions of advisers for his ministers and limited the number of advisers to five for himself, the president and for the parliament speaker.

"We have decided to cancel the positions of advisers in the ministries, and limit the number of advisers in the three presidencies to five to each presidency," Abadi said in a statement.

It was not clear yet how many positions exactly would be removed by the decision, but it is known that dozens of advisers have been hired by the ministers with high salaries.

Abadi's move came as part of his comprehensive reform plan that aimed at combating corruption and mismanagement. The government has been under the pressure of massive demonstrations by angry Iraqis in Baghdad and several other cities in the south against slack public services, power shortage, and massive corruption.

The latest demonstrations were also backed by Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who has asked Abadi to be "more daring and courageous in his reforms."

On Sunday, Abadi cut the number of ministers in his cabinet from 33 to 22 as part of his reforms.

Earlier, Abadi already cut the three vice president positions and the security of all top and senior politicians and officials. He has also planned to fill a number of sensitive government posts with political and sectarian independents in light of competence and integrity standards.

Abadi's reform plan has been approved by the cabinet and the parliament. Endit