Citizens demand lawmakers, ministers to lower salaries like Maliki

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Citizens from Baghdad called on the president of the republic, lawmakers and ministers to decrease their salaries like Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to show their good will toward poor citizens. This comes as parliament prepares the federal budget draft law of 2011. “Despite reasons that made the premier to give up half of his salary, we call on all ministers and lawmakers and other senior officials in the country to do the same as a support poor citizens,” Ali Sanad, 32, from al-Qahera neighborhood, northeastern Baghdad, told IraqiNews.com news agency. As unrest sweeps the Middle East, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said he would give up half his salary in a possible bid to head off simmering discontent, and called for a two-term limit to be placed on his office. Iraqis have held sporadic protests against food, power and water shortages and their plight acquired particular attention this month as a wave of anti-government protests rocked the region. Maliki’s media adviser, Ali al-Moussawi, said the premier would fore-go 50 percent of his $30,000 monthly paycheck to bring his salary closer to other government employees. For Abu Zaid, 61, from al-Shurta neighborhood, southwestern Baghdad, it’s the time for lawmakers and ministers to decrease their salaries, in addition to decreasing the post-retirement wage from 80% to 30 or 20% like other citizens, including civilians and military men. “The decision taken by the premier to give up 5% of his salary will not be useful, unless other senior officials in the country take the same step,” he underlined. “We support all initiatives of members of the parliament to allocate 15-20% of the budget to support all citizens, mainly the poor, and we encourage officials who decrease their salaries as a step to show solidarity and to boost trust between citizens and officials,” Milad Saad, 30, said. “Al-Maliki’s decision is not enough. All officials have to do the same as there are so many people in the society need to be supported,” she added. “Demonstrations in Iraq are useless, we have staged several protests calling for improving living conditions and incomes, but nothing happened, just the same promises,” Thu al-Faqqar Ali, 25, told IraqiNews.com news agency. Several demonstrations hit the country recently, calling for improving services and offering job opportunities. SH (TS)/SR 1625