In a positive gesture to the Iraqi protesters who were barred from streets because of the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the new government in Iraq headed by Mustafa Al-Kadhimi announced plans to release the protesters who were arrested due to their participation in the popular protests that took place in October.
Al-Kadhimi also promised to "hold accountable those who caused bloodshed in the country, achieve justice, compensate the relatives of more than 550 people killed throughout the protests, and care for the injured."
His remarks came in a televised speech, while addressing the Iraqis yesterday, following the first meeting of his cabinet; the speech came in conjunction with calls on social media for demonstrations.
The previous government, headed by Adel Abdel-Mahdi was asserting since October that it was unable to find "shooters" who killed the demonstrators who were demanding the renewal of the entire political class.
Al-Kadhimi promised to "investigate the facts in all incidents."
Last Wednesday, the deputies approved 15 of the 22 ministers, so Al-Kadhimi still has the task of replacing seven ministers.
On the other hand, Al-Kadhimi called on the parliament to adopt the new electoral law necessary for the early elections promised by his predecessor.
The new government presents itself as a "transitional" government.
On the first of October, when marches began and later turned into the largest and most bloody social demonstrations in the history of Iraq, many protesters carried banners with pictures of Lieutenant General Abdul Wahab Al-Saadi, the "hero" of restoring Mosul from the hands of terrorists, who was later excluded from his Abdul Mahdi's government.
However, Al-Kadhimi decided to return Al-Saadi to the counter-terrorism agency and appointed him as its president.
The new PM has long been seen as a Washington man in Baghdad, before he later established close ties with Iran as well.
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