A temporary campaign or a revolution against the thieves? Will Al-Zaydi dare to open the files of corruption in the region?
A temporary campaign or a revolution against the thieves? Will Al-Zaydi dare to open the files of corruption in the region?
7-5-2026
Information/Report…
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s campaign against corrupt officials and embezzlers of public funds has received praise and appreciation from most political parties. However, this campaign has not been without its critics, demands, and questions. It remains unclear whether the campaign will continue or has stopped with those whose names appeared in the investigations of Deputy Oil Minister Adnan al-Jumaili. Furthermore, questions persist about al-Zaidi’s ability to open major corruption cases related to other state institutions, ministries, and economic and investment sectors. There are also calls to extend the campaign to the Kurdistan Region to open corruption cases within the region and hold the ruling authority accountable after the exposure of corruption and theft cases involving employees.
Luqman Hassan, a member of the Kurdish Azadi Movement, told Al-Maalouma, “Al-Zaidi’s anti-corruption campaign must continue, and if the Prime Minister truly intends to pursue this campaign, then the Kurdistan Region must be included in these measures.”
He added, “Kurdish officials have contributed to the theft of public funds, whether in Baghdad or other provinces, including those who held positions in successive federal governments. The same applies to officials in the Kurdistan Region.”
He explained that “the Kurdistan Regional Government has stolen more than 60 months’ worth of employee salaries since 2014 under the pretext of saving money. Therefore, the anti-corruption campaign must open all files and not be limited to Baghdad and the provinces; it must extend to the region.”
For his part, political analyst Ali al-Tawil, speaking to Al-Maalomah, stated, “There are many indicators confirming that al-Zaidi’s anti-corruption campaign was not up to par, and high hopes cannot be placed on it.”
He added, “The campaign launched by the Prime Minister has practically stalled. Furthermore, it did not reopen previous cases but rather was based on investigations, with the arrest of those whose names surfaced during the investigation of Adnan al-Jumaili.”
He explained that “many major files related to the economy, oil, electricity, taxes, ports, and airports, if opened, would lead to the arrest and prosecution of hundreds of individuals for corruption.” He noted that “the exclusion of Kurds from al-Zaidi’s campaign is a negative indicator.”
In a related matter, MP Aqeel al-Fatlawi, spokesperson for the State of Law Coalition, emphasized to Al-Maalomah that “geographical borders should not provide safe havens for the accused.”
He continued, “The responsibility for bringing back those accused of corruption and squandering public funds who are currently outside the country rests primarily with the government, through activating coordination channels and international agreements with relevant parties.”
He added that “the State of Law Coalition has witnessed a clear and unprecedented seriousness on the part of the current government in addressing the corruption issue,” indicating that “the strict measures taken by the executive and judicial branches enjoy the full political and parliamentary support of the coalition.”
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