Next Iraqi Prime Minister Looks for Ministers Online

 

The man who has been named to be Iraq’s Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi is trying to find a way to reduce corruption¹ in government.

To build his government, he opened a website where anyone can apply to run one of Iraq’s 22 ministries². These jobs have long been linked to patronage³ and other forms of corruption.

Local media reported that, within days, his office received more than 15,000 applications. He will have meetings with 601 candidates.

It is unclear if Abdul-Mahdi can change how Iraq’s government is run. Many political parties have their own militias⁴ and threaten to create problems for Iraq if they do not get their members in the ministries they desire.

Others are asking whether it is wise to give government jobs to those with little experience.

Hisham al-Dahabi is a social worker and philanthropist. He said, “I’m fifty-fifty,” meaning that he half supports the plan and half does not. He said he applied⁵ to be the minister of labor⁶ and social affairs. That position organizes services and pensions for veterans and their families.

Al-Dahabi said he does not believe Iraq’s political parties will give up their hold on ministry⁸ jobs.

Recently, he spoke⁹ to reporters and hosted a delegation¹⁰ from a European embassy at the orphanage¹¹ he operates in Baghdad.

Children cried for his attention and called him “Baba,” Arabic for “Dad.”

He had not told them that he had applied to be a minister, and he thought he probably would not get the job. It was a campaign by friends and supporters, he said, that led him to apply.

One week later, al-Dahabi met the prime minister-designate. He said only that they had discussed ways to improve the lives of Iraqi children.

Abdul-Mahdi has remained quiet about his cabinet appointments. His office refused a request to speak to reporters.

By law, he has until November 2 to appoint his ministers. Then, parliament must approve them before they are sworn in. Iraq’s official newspaper, Al-Sabah, said Monday that 15 appointments could come this week. The others, the newspaper said, would be named later.

Many people think it is unlikely Abdul-Mahdi will be able to make big changes at the ministries. But the website may help his image as a political reformer. Many Iraqis are angry with party politics.

In parliamentary elections in May, only 44 percent of those who could vote completed ballots¹². That is the lowest number since elections started.

Iraqis gave the most votes to a list of candidates chosen by cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Al-Sadr had promised to provide a “government of technocrats¹⁴.”

Abdul-Mahdi is an economist¹⁵. He has worked as oil minister, finance minister and vice⁷ president since returning from exile in 2003.

Many Iraqis consider him a political independent. He is Iraq’s first prime minister in 12 years who is not from the Dawa Party. The party is blamed for many of the country’s problems, such as the growth of militias and poor government services.

Alaa Khudair is a retired¹⁶ government worker. Khudair said the website was a good way to take power away from the parties that have failed to “speak for Iraqis.”

But political activist¹⁷ Yahya al-Hafiz warned that, if any of the applicants¹⁸ are appointed ministers, they will be put in a difficult political environment.

“The political parties are refusing to go along…This is a government that works on favors and deals. It’s impossible to think they’re going to give that up,” he said.

But Al-Dahabi said he and other experts are not afraid.

“At least we have some experience,” he said.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

apply – v. to ask formally for something

patronage – n. the power to give jobs or provide other help to people as a reward for their support

philanthropist – n. a wealthy person who gives money and time to help make life better for other people

pension – n. an amount of money that a company or the government pays to a person who is old or sick and no longer work

orphanage – n. a place for children without parents

technocrat¹³ – n. a scientist or technical expert who has a lot of power in politics or industry

designate - v. to officially give someone or something a particular role or purpose

favor - n. a kind or helpful act that you do for someone

1 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

2 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

3 patronage   

n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场

参考例句：

• Though it was not yet noon,there was considerable patronage.虽然时间未到中午，店中已有许多顾客惠顾。
• I am sorry to say that my patronage ends with this.很抱歉，我的赞助只能到此为止。

4 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

5 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

11 orphanage   

n.孤儿院

参考例句：

• They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage.他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。
• They gave the proceeds of the sale to the orphanage.他们把销售的收入给了这家孤儿院。

12 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 technocrat   

n.技术人员，技术官僚

参考例句：

• He is a distant technocrat who is unable to connect with ordinary voters.作为一个冷淡的技术官僚，他不能做到与普通选民息息相通。
• Jack Lew,the new budget director,is the quintessential technocrat.新预算主管杰克·卢就是一个典型的技术官僚。

14 technocrats   

n.技术专家，专家政治论者( technocrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Few business barons remained. They were replaced by "technocrats," who became the heads of corporations. 企业巨头所剩无几，大多已被“技术专家”所代替，这些人成了公司的领导。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• However, bankers called the technocrats' bluff and proceeded to lend with gusto. 但是，银行家们称技术专家官员不过在虚张声势，并且还会乐观的继续借贷业务。 来自互联网

15 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

16 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

17 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

18 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。