*EPF305 07/09/2003
Text: Bremer Says Democracy Is "on the Move" in Iraq
(Says local and national councils transforming Iraqi politics) (920)
"Democracy is on the move in Iraq," U.S. Administrator L. Paul Bremer told reporters in Baghdad July 8.
After appearing as a guest at the first meeting of Baghdad's 37-member municipal council, Bremer said he was struck by both the diversity and the energy of the councilors.
"They have seized the opportunity to participate in the running of their country with enthusiasm and vigor. I look forward to seeing the same in other parts of the country," he said. He also noted that all the major cities and 90 percent of Iraq's major towns now have governing councils.
Bremer reaffirmed earlier announcements that a national Iraqi "governing council" will be in place before the end of July.
According to Bremer, the council will form one element, the first, of an Iraqi-lead administration that will serve until democratic elections can be held. Members will have the following responsibilities.
-- They will need to bring together the views of all Iraqis and translate these into policies and decisions.
-- They will be asked to select interim ministers to lead the civil service.
-- They will participate in launching the process to write a new constitution, which in turn will lay the basis for Iraq's democratic future.
Following is the text of Bremer's opening statement at his July 8, press conference in Baghdad.
(begin text)
OPENING STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR BREMER
U.S. ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY
PRESS CONFERENCE IN BAGHDAD
8 JULY 2003
Good afternoon. Let me start as usual with a short statement before I take your questions.
In the past 24 hours we have made important progress in transforming Iraq's economy and establishing the basis for a democratic system of government.
I made several significant economic announcements yesterday. Firstly, the budget: I've now agreed the budget for the rest of 2003. This is a back-to-work budget: I want to get Iraq and Iraqis back to work, while we also address important long-term priorities.
This budget will inject a significant amount of money into the economy, and into capital projects in particular. For example, 440 billion dinars is earmarked for the electricity sector, 110 billion for water and sewage, 225 billion for telecommunications, and 315 billion for public health. All these sectors are in desperate need of investment, after being starved of investment for so many years by the Saddam regime. This health budget, for example, represents a seven thousand per cent increase in spending on public health, compared to the last six months under Saddam Hussein.
I have emphasized before how damaged this economy is after more than thirty years of catastrophic mismanagement. It will take time to turn it into a healthy, free-market economy, which can provide jobs for the 60% of Iraqis who are currently unemployed. So a lot of this budget is aimed at improving life now for Iraqis, by investing in areas which impact their daily lives. But at the same time, we are starting to take the economic steps needed to get wealth-creating and job-creating industries going, and to encourage investment.
I also announced yesterday that we will shortly start printing new banknotes, which will give Iraqis new confidence in their currency, and make it much easier for them to do business. And I announced that the Central Bank of Iraq is now independent from the Ministry of Finance and other parts of the Iraqi government and civil service. All these are important steps in laying the foundations for substantial economic growth in the years ahead.
The other key task for the coalition is helping to build the democratic institutions to safeguard Iraq's new-found freedom, and to ensure a proper participatory system of government for the first time in this country. Yesterday, I was invited to the launch of the Baghdad City Advisory Council, the 37 men and women selected by Baghdadis to represent their views to Iraqi officials and to the Coalition Authority. I was struck by both the diversity and the energy of those councilors. They have seized the opportunity to participate in the running of their country with enthusiasm and vigor. I look forward to seeing the same in other parts of the country. All the major cities, and 90% of Iraq's major towns now have governing councils, taking responsibility for how their towns and cities are managed. Democracy is on the move in Iraq
Meanwhile, I hope to see a governing council -- the first body of an Iraqi Interim Administration -- in place within the next couple of weeks. My team and I have traveled to every part of this very diverse country. We have spoken to literally thousands of Iraqis from all walks of life. We want to ensure that the governing council which emerges is truly representative of all Iraqis -- Shi'a and Sunni, men and women, Kurd and Arab, secular, religious, tribal and urban. When this group comes together, they will have an enormously important role to play:
-- They will need to bring together the views of all Iraqis and translate these into policies and decisions.
-- They will be asked to select interim ministers to lead the civil service.
-- They will participate in launching the process to write a new constitution, which in turn will lay the basis for Iraq's democratic future.
This council will help the coalition in our joint task of rebuilding this country, and in translating Iraqis' hopes for the future into reality.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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