Paper: Do justice to Iraqi citizens

by GottaDash Thu Jul 10, 2008 8:28 am

BAGHDAD, July 10 (VOI) – A Baghdad-based newspaper on Thursday called to "do justice" to Iraqi citizens and to give them their fundamental rights.

Under a headline reading 'Rights and duties or duties only?' the independent daily al-Ra'I newspaper published an article by Souad Shahin in which she said that a careful balance between rights and duties is necessary in civilized societies.
The author said that unlike citizens in other societies, Iraqis "have only duties and no rights." Throughout five years, Iraqis have had to deal with bad services, deteriorating security situation, unemployment, and rising fuel and food prices.
"Why is the stress on duties, which are the state's rights, while paying no attention to citizens' rights to housing, free education, health insurance, equal job opportunities to personnel working for foreign companies in Iraq...? the author wondered.

Baghdad newspaper, the daily mouthpiece of the Iraqi National Accord Movement led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, published an article entitled, 'Those in positions and polygraphs' by Kareem al-Abboudi.
The author criticized Iraqi officials, whom he said act against the interests of their country and destroyed the people's trust in them. In other countries, officials may commit suicide or submit his formal resignation if he is found to be involved in any crime or accused of negligence.
"What if this happens in Iraq? What about the huge number of officials, ministers and directors who will contemplate suicide? Undoubtedly it will be a mass suicide…," the author wrote.
Al-Abboudi discussed what he described as a humorous proposal to install polygraphs in Iraqi ministries and institutions and to order all officials to take lie detector tests after working hours.

http://66.111.34.180/look/english/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrArticle=85273&NrIssue=2&NrSection=1