Iraq's PM cancels the privileges of the Iraqi presidencies

Shafaq News/ Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia'a al-Sudani issued shocking orders, especially to senior Iraqi officials, including the three presidents (the republic, the ministers, and the parliament).

An informed Iraqi source told Al-Sharq Al-Awsaat Newspaper those decisions included withdrawing the protections of former presidents and ministers after 2003.

Al-Sudani's decisions include canceling the allocations of the three presidencies for each of the President of the Republic, Abd al-Latif Rashid, and Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi, in addition to al-Sudani himself, and the withdrawal of protections from the former presidents of the republic, Fuad Masum, and Barham Salih, and the protection of former prime ministers Iyad Allawi, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Nuri al-Maliki, Haider al-Abadi, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, and Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

Among the decisions taken by Al-Sudani, according to the source, was the deduction of two and a half million dinars from the salaries of members of his government. The Iraqi prime minister's decisions to reduce exaggerated government spending in Iraq also included canceling allocations for hospitality, treatment, and leasing private planes for the three presidencies, including his office.

And local news agencies had quoted a military commander in the Green Zone as saying that the force assigned to protect Al-Kadhimi "received orders to withdraw and leave its position near the house he lives in in the Green Zone." The Newspaper said.

The military commander added, "The strength of the force is about a hundred affiliates, and most of them have not yet implemented the sudden orders to leave Al-Kazemi's house, which were issued on Thursday morning."

Al-Sudani also decided to close 20 Iraqi embassies abroad due to the lack of Iraqi expatriates in those countries, according to the political source.