Al-Iraqiyya bloc vows to reopen al-Hashemi file

The al-Iraqiya voting bloc led by Iyad Allawi has announced it “will not only follow closely Finance Minister Rafi al-Issawi’s case, but will also reopen the file of the vice president sentenced for execution, Tariq al-Hashemi.” The remarks were made by the head of the Iraqiya coalition’s parliamentary bloc, Salman a-Jumaili, in a press conference held alongside a number of Iraqiya MPs at the parliamentary headquarters. Al-Jumaili spoke of “the injustice” that he said had befallen al-Hashemi “from arbitrary judicial decisions through female prisoners and rape crimes.” He added that the bloc will “press on with all its political activities as granted by the constitution until its demands have been achieved.” He also said the electoral group was “permanently convened” in order to “study the situation to contain the current crisis.” Al-Jumaili said “the past few days have seen efforts led by the director of the Intelligence Service to solve this case, including contacts between Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi.” He also said the minister’s arrest “demonstrated the wrong and unilateral approach taken by the head of the government and the security authorities affiliated to it,” adding that these practices “have become a real threat to the state.” “It is imperative that we stand up to autocracy and the breaching of the basic agreements as well as the constitution,” the parliamentary leader said, calling of the National Coalition and its supporters as well as the Kurdistani Alliance to “stand up to this method which is based on liquidating political partners.” “We must oppose the politicisation of the judiciary and the thrusting of the institution into political conflicts in an attempt to strip the judiciary of its significance,” he added.