Iraqi President Salih calls for reforms and international assistance to preserve Iraq’s heritage and its future

BAGHDAD — Iraqi President Barham Salih said in an interview with Al-Jazeera that the upcoming parliamentary elections are an opportunity for Iraqis and must be fair so the people can freely express their will. Open and fair elections will help move the country closer towards an effective government that expresses the will of Iraqis and works to harness the country’s resources to serve them.

President Salih pointed out that the popular youth movement of recent years came against a backdrop of misery and deprivation and the refusal of Iraqis to see their country wither. The demonstrators and activists have succeeded in drawing focus on the need to reform the political establishment situation and demand early elections.

Salih said Iraq’s oil funds from 2003 to the present amount to about 1 trillion dollars and estimates indicate that 150 billion dollars in funds have been looted from Iraq and moved abroad. He called for the formation of an international coalition to combat corruption and recover the looted funds, similar to the international coalition against ISIS.

He explained that all Iraqis in Basra, Baghdad, Najaf, Mosul, Sulaimaniyah, and Erbil agree on the need to reform the political situation in the country.

Salih added that the population of Iraq is now some 40 million and by 2050 it is on pace to double. The global demand for oil by 2030 is likely to be reduced in response to environmental concerns and will result in a drastic decline in Iraq’s economy if it does not significantly diversify its economic output.

“We have to start towards frameworks of cooperation that take into account these realities,” said Salih.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said in a statement that Iraq occupies a prominent place in the history of the world as it is the origin of writing, agriculture, the wheel, and countless other inventions. The U.S. government has allocated more than $40 million to help preserve Iraq’s precious national and cultural heritage by restoring archaeological sites throughout the country.