Sadr wants Iraqis to get a share from country's oil revenues

3/21/2016 11:07:46 PM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) A supporter of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr rests in his tent during a sit-in calling for governmental reform and elimination of corruption on March 21 2016 outside the main gates of Baghdad's Green Zone. AFP / AHMAD AL-RUBAYE

BAGHDAD: Influential Iraqi Shi'iteMuslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr leading protests to demand atechnocrat government to fight graft urged authorities onMonday to give every Iraqi a direct share from the nation's oilrevenues.

Iraq with crude oil reserves among the largest in theworld ranks 161 out of 168 in Transparency International'sCorruption Perceptions Index in 2015.

"Allocate a share for each Iraqi citizen from the oilrevenues'' he said in a speech detailing proposals to endgraft improve public services and revive the economy. He gaveno detail on how this might be done.

Sadr's followers have been staging protests for about amonth demanding a new government be formed with technocrats notaffiliated with political parties in order to fight rampantcorruption.

The cleric didn't specify if his demand on distribution ofoil revenue to the population was a condition to end theprotests.

Reuters

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