Iraqi Activists Seek to End Pensions for Parliament
Post-retirement pensions for members of Iraq's Council of Representatives has provoked a heated debate among Iraqi civil activists.
Iraqi civil activists are trying to prevent the current members of parliament from being granted pensions after their term expires in spring 2014.
A source in the Iraqi parliament said in a statement to Al-Monitor, “It is possible for the Iraqi parliament to pass a law next month that annuls the retirement salaries of the members of parliament and provincial councils.”
It is also expected that the law would annul the pensions of ministers, in addition to those of a large number of high-ranking officials in the Iraqi government.
The parliament comprises 365 members with a monthly salary of 8 million Iraqi dinars (about $6,800) in addition to 4 million dinars or (about $3,400) as premiership allocations. When the current legislative session comes to an end, every member of parliament will be granted a retirement salary that equals 80% of their current salary.
