Iraq PM Al-Zaidi says he will not seek second term

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has announced that he would not seek a second term, stating that his administration is focused on implementing long-term economic and institutional changes rather than staying in office. Al-Zaidi said that he has personally vowed not to run again and that the changes implemented by his government would yield dividends for future governments. His declaration occurred after a wide-ranging discussion of Iraq’s economy, oil exports, corruption, power, investment, and attempts to put weaponry completely under state control. Despite recent financial pressures, the prime minister said that his government had met public-sector wages and government responsibilities. Baghdad is also developing a budget that prioritizes power production, transmission, and distribution, as well as increased usage of solar energy. Meanwhile, Iraq is stepping up attempts to diversify its oil shipments after recent regional interruptions that highlighted the country’s reliance on the Strait of Hormuz. According to Al-Zaidi, Baghdad wants to increase exports via Turkey’s Ceyhan port while also investigating prospective routes through Syria’s Baniyas and Jordan’s Aqaba. He also set an ambitious goal of increasing Iraqi oil output to 8-10 million barrels per day within six years, while advocating for a higher OPEC allocation that reflects Iraq’s populatioand its massiveve petroleum reserves. On security, Al-Zaidi said that political groups believe that firearms must eventually be confined to the state and that methods are being devised for armed factions to relinquish their weapons. He ruled out a military confrontation, but cautioned that uncontrolled weapons discourage investment and harm Iraq’s interests. The prime minister also said that there will be no retreat from the government’s anti-corruption drive. Baghdad is increasing its examination of government contracts before signing them, primarily to avoid inflated project prices and abuse of public funds. Economic change will also need Iraq to reduce its reliance on government employment. Al-Zaidi said that the government intends to boost the private sector and provide incentives for Iraqis to transition from public to private work. His administration is also planning a scheme to provide one million residential land plots to Iraqis who do not currently own a house or residential land, with the initiative set to be finished in three years. Regionally, Al-Zaidi said that Iraq cannot isolate itself from its Arab and regional neighbors and aims to turn the nation from a war zone into a bridge for discourse and economic cooperation. But his most direct political statement concerns his destiny. Al-Zaidi said that he does not plan to construct another administration around himself but rather to leave behind reforms that may continue after his departure, making the success of his premiership contingent not on a second term but on whether those improvements endure.