The law that never ages: Politically dismissed people return generation after generation.
The law that never ages: Politically dismissed people return generation after generation.
2025-10-19 03:28
Shafaq News – Baghdad
For two decades, one law has opened the doors of the Iraqi state wide open: the law for the reinstatement of politically dismissed individuals. What began as an attempt to provide justice for those harmed by Saddam Hussein’s regime has now transformed into one of the most opaque and draining issues in public finances, involving more than 260,000 employees and retirees, and continuing to expand without a clear timeframe.
In 2005, two years after the fall of the former regime, the Iraqi parliament passed a law to reinstate those dismissed for political, ethnic, or sectarian reasons. A specialized committee was established under the umbrella of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers to review applications and establish rights. Twenty years later, this committee is still operating and receiving new applications, some from individuals born in the late 1980s—meaning they were not among those actually dismissed before 2003.
An official in the Department of Political Dismissals’ Affairs told Shafaq News Agency about this problematic paragraph, “These individuals are not considered dismissed in the direct sense, but they are included among those entitled to benefits based on their kinship to one of the political dismissals up to the fourth degree, as permitted by law.”
On the other hand, the numbers alone reveal the extent of the inflation: 260,000 cases of reinstatement or retirement, and 125,000 transactions are still pending, according to official data obtained by Shafaq News Agency. With applications still being processed, the total number of beneficiaries this year is expected to exceed 400,000.
This “dangerous issue,” as political analyst Mujasha’ al-Tamimi describes it, represents a significant burden on the country’s general budget and opens the door to corruption and nepotism.
According to Al-Tamimi’s statement to Shafaq News Agency, “the so-called political dismissals” have sparked much controversy. It is illogical, in 2025, for this issue to remain open.
This issue, and the funds allocated to it through the new appointments, coincide with the economic crises Iraq is experiencing and the rising unemployment rate. This is particularly true given the country’s recent years of demonstrations by graduates demanding employment. Documents issued by the department reveal that the majority of those dismissed and their families who are appointed lack educational qualifications, and most of their job titles are “technician or technical assistant.”
The inflation in hiring has directly impacted government salaries. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced last year that the cost of salaries had jumped to 90 trillion dinars, up from approximately 60 trillion dinars. This means that the state now spends more than a third of its annual budget on salaries.
Al-Tamimi believes that one of the problems is the return of fugitives and those dismissed “without clear criteria.” This, he says, “is not justice.” Rather, it reinforces a corrupt political approach that drains the state’s resources and limits the future of future generations.
What’s going on now?
In early October, the head of the Martyrs Foundation met with the Department of Political Dismissals to launch a new form for the families of first- and second-degree martyrs, sparking protests in online groups for the dismissed. One member, Faleh Jassim from Wasit Governorate, wrote: “The former regime pursued families up to the fourth degree, and today eligibility is limited to the first and second degrees. Where is justice?”
In these groups, the extent of the phenomenon is evident, with members including young men in their thirties who continue to be treated as “politically separated,” even though some were not even born when the separations occurred that the law was designed to address.
What fuels the controversy are the privileges granted to those covered by the law, particularly in the field of education. They are granted exceptions in admission to graduate studies and are exempt from proficiency exams, which impacts the quality of education, according to political analyst Ghaleb Al-Dumay.
Al-Dumaimi added in an interview with Shafaq News, “Many files were entered by undeserving individuals, some of whom were even harmful to those dismissed during the previous regime.” He cited the example of the exposure of cases involving terrorists or those implicated in previous crimes among those covered by the law in some governorates, stressing that “the law, despite its legitimacy, has become a gateway to the squandering of public funds, like many Iraqi laws that were tailored to suit political interests.”
He points out that “the actual number of those dismissed may not exceed a quarter of the current number,” noting that what remains is administrative and financial inflation that has contributed to the stagnation of state institutions.
On the other hand, an informed source revealed to Shafaq News Agency that “there are people who were previously dismissed from their jobs due to non-political charges, such as theft, rape, or tampering with public funds, who were able to forge their documents and be included in the institution’s law and return to their jobs.” He added that “not every person previously dismissed is considered political, as the number of dismissals for political reasons was very limited compared to the numbers currently announced,” noting that “the confusion between those who were actually dismissed and those who claimed to have been dismissed opened the door to widespread manipulation and fraud.”
The official version
An official in the Department of Political Dismissals’ Affairs told Shafaq News: “We reinstate approximately 4,000 people annually, appoint 6,000 new employees, and retire 3,000. The law is clear and includes everyone who has been convicted or harmed, or their relatives up to the fourth degree, for political, ethnic, or sectarian reasons.”
He confirmed that the number of pending cases stands at 125,000, and that the door remains open “to receive cases from first- and second-degree martyrs’ families,” noting that the department also issues decisions against those who unjustly “claim political separation.”
However, these official figures are not accompanied by any detailed financial reports detailing the cost of salaries or the amount allocated for the new grades, leaving the matter open to many questions.
To date, no public parliamentary session has been dedicated to discussing this issue, despite its financial ramifications. Scattered movements indicate tacit support for the continued implementation of the law, as the Committee of Martyrs, Victims, and Political Prisoners continues to demand that the government expand its scope and introduce new levels, rather than reviewing it or setting a timeframe for its closure.
Meanwhile, international monitoring reports, such as those from Chatham House, show that the uncontrolled expansion of politically motivated appointments is one of the most prominent manifestations of “institutionalized corruption” in Iraq, and is preventing any real administrative or economic reform.
To date, there is no government data showing the cumulative cost of the political dismissal file.
Numbers inventory
Shafaq News Agency conducted an inventory of those appointed or retired since the beginning of the current year. The results, according to the department’s data, were:
According to the schedules of the Political Dismissals Department:
October: 1,000 new appointments
– September: 1,100 appointments
– July: 1900 Appointment
– August: 523 retirements
June: 569 retirements
– March: 1004 appointments
At a rate of approximately 1,300 appointments per month compared to 500 retirements, the number of people entering the job exceeds those leaving it by more than double.
Despite Shafaq News’ attempts to obtain official comment from the relevant governmental and parliamentary authorities, all declined to respond or provide further clarification regarding the fate of this issue. Some officials indicated in unofficial communications that “the parliamentary legislative session is nearing its end, and this issue may be referred to the new parliamentary session,” while others justified their silence by being busy preparing for the upcoming elections.
shafaq.com
