“We have noticed recently some ministries and directorates signed ad-hoc contracts and improper appointments, even undertaking structural and functional changes,” reads a statement from the office of Adil Abdul-Mahdi on Thursday.
He called on President Barham Salih, outgoing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his ministers to prevent “unconstitutional and illegal” measures that aren’t “within the framework of managing daily affairs.”
In the past week, Iraqi media reported that many ministries are signing last minute contracts and appointing new people to positions despite knowing a new government is in the midst of taking charge.
Abdul-Mahdi called on the parliament to monitor appointments and warned his government will “cancel anything that wasn’t done within constitutional and legal frameworks or outside the tasks of managing daily affairs.”
He threatened to punishment for anyone caught making illegal appointments.
One of the most significant appointments was made by Abadi who named outgoing oil minister Jabbar al-Luaibi head of the newly founded Iraqi National Oil Company.
Luaibi’s appointment was approved by Abadi’s Council of Ministers earlier this month and he has quickly gone to work. On Thursday he issued a decree transferring the ownership of companies belonging to the Ministry of Oil to his new National Oil Company.
Under this decree, Ministry of Oil companies responsible for oil exploration, drilling, and marketing, the provincial oil companies of Basra, Maysan, Dhi Qar, the Midland Oil Company, and North Oil Company, and Iraqi oil transportation will all be disconnected from the ministry.
Abdul-Mahdi will present his proposed cabinet to parliament next week for approval, hopefully finally forming a government some five months after the election.
He has sought to build a Council of Ministers that is unshackled from the political elite and more in tune with the people.
If parliament does not approve his cabinet, the president will appoint a new prime minister-designate to give it a try.
