Iraqi lawmaker says reconstruction bloc will oppose 2012–2015 final accounts in second reading

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The head of Iraq's Parliament Reconstruction and Development Bloc, Baha A'raci, said his bloc will oppose the second reading of draft final accounts covering the 2012–2015 period. In a statement on his official social media account, A'raci said the Federal Board of Audit reports for those years revealed serious structural problems in state financial management. According to A'raci, approved budget allocations were exceeded and financial advances totaling tens of trillions of dinars were issued well beyond legal limits, with some advances settled without any official basis. He also noted a build-up of recording errors and delays in completing the accounts. A'raci said the parliamentary bloc finds it unacceptable to push the drafts through as a procedural formality. He added that the bills should proceed to a second reading only after the real causes of the violations are identified, lasting solutions are introduced and accountability is ensured. No further details on the next parliamentary session were immediately available.