Maliki Makes Concessions on De-Baathification
In what might be a bid to appease Sunni demonstrators, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has eased enforcement of de-Baathication laws, writes Ali Abel Sadah.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been forced to make new concessions to Sunni demonstrators and is finally losing his firm grip on the Accountability and Justice Law, also known as de-Baathification.
Iraqi legislators passed a 2008 law designed to dismantle the Baath Party’s entities in Iraq, bring to justice any members who committed acts of violence against Iraqis and deprive those members of public-sector jobs.
The Maliki government was accused of double standards in implementing of the law. Some alleged that Maliki exempted Baathists who showed allegiance to him.
Rafie Rifai, the Mufti of Iraq and a Sunni cleric, says: “Maliki is selective in dealing with the Accountability and Justice Law, because many employees at his office would be affected by this law. However, he is enforcing it on university professors and ordinary people.”
