Iraq probes alleged scandals in election campaigns

BAGHDAD: Iraq Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi launched investigations in two ministries into the complaints about officials’ misuse of state resources in their election campaigns for the upcoming parliamentary elections in October.

A statement on Tuesday from al-Kadhimi’s media office said “there are complaints about the exploitation of state resources in election campaigns by ministers or officials nominated in the elections.”

Al-Kadhimi stressed that the government would launch other investigations if it is proven that there is improper use of state resources in the campaigns, the statement said.

“The state’s resources are devoted for the benefit of the people, and one of the reasons for the failure in Iraq is the exploitation of state resources for the benefit of some parties and influencers at the expense of Iraq,” the statement quoted al-Kadhimi as saying.

Iraq is scheduled to hold early elections on Oct. 10, in response to the anti-government protests against corruption and lack of public services.

The previous parliamentary elections in Iraq were held on May 12, 2018 and the next elections were originally scheduled to take place in 2022.–Xinhua

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