Baghdad: The first 100 days of any government cannot be measured by the number of decisions it has issued or projects it has announced. Rather, they should be judged by its ability to set a clear direction and lay the foundations upon which the future can be built. Viewed from this perspective, the opening chapter of the current government’s tenure appears to be an effort to reorder the state’s priorities at a time of extraordinary national, regional and international complexity.
According to Iraqi News Agency, at the heart of these priorities is the strengthening of state authority and the protection of national sovereignty through the regulation of weapons and their exclusive placement under the control of official state institutions. Meaningful progress has been made on this front, marking a tangible step towards entrenching the principles of the state and the rule of law. Yet the real significance of this issue lies in completing the process and transforming it into a firmly established national foundation, one that remains resilient regardless of political circumstances. This comes at a time when there is growing recognition, across the political spectrum, that the country must now turn decisively towards development. After all, everyone has played a part in laying the foundations of security and stability in Iraq; the time has come for all to join in building its developmental future.
Closely linked to this is the need to strengthen Iraq’s security and defense capabilities, particularly following the agreement to end the mission of the international coalition. This opens a new chapter in which the country will rely more heavily on its own national capabilities to protect Iraq. The country already possesses substantial security capabilities in terms of human resources, but these need to be fully activated and strengthened through access to the latest technologies. The era of the Kalashnikov has passed, giving way to laser weapons and remotely guided hypersonic missiles.
In the fight against corruption, the emphasis is shifting from addressing misconduct after it occurs to preventing it at the outset. This means subjecting contracts and projects to thorough scrutiny before they are approved, reviewing past spending and agreements, and holding those responsible for corruption to account. Such an approach can help reduce waste and curb unchecked cost increases, provided it is backed by effective oversight, transparency and accountability that applies to everyone without exception.
Economic reform, however, represents the longest-term challenge and the one most likely to shape Iraq’s future. Rationalising public spending, maximising returns from state institutions, expanding non-oil revenues and reducing reliance on oil, alongside developing mechanisms for fiscal and monetary stability, are all interconnected steps in the transition from a rentier economy towards one that is more diversified and productive. There are also a number of avenues that, if pursued seriously, could generate substantial resources for the state. In one relatively simple move, for instance, the government was able to secure annual revenues of around 18 trillion Iraqi dinars that had previously been flowing into private pockets.
The Development Road represents an effort to turn Iraq’s geographic position into a strategic economic asset by expanding transport, logistics, industry, energy and trade, while creating new employment opportunities, particularly as the country moves towards establishing its first energy city.
On the social front, the project to provide one million serviced residential plots represents an attempt to address a fundamental aspect of Iraq’s housing crisis. Its success, however, will depend on going beyond the distribution of land to providing the infrastructure and public services needed to turn these projects into fully integrated residential communities.
In foreign policy, Iraq is moving towards building balanced relations based on mutual interests and openness with all countries. The true value of these relationships, however, will ultimately be measured by their ability to generate investment, economic agreements, technology transfers and access to new markets.
The greatest challenge in the next phase will be moving from laying the foundations to delivering tangible results. Citizens are not simply waiting to hear what decisions have been taken. Nor are they necessarily concerned with how many barrels of oil Iraq exports each day, or even whether the Strait of Hormuz is closed or open, or whether ships pass through it. What they want to see is a tangible impact on security, public services, employment, housing and their standard of living.
The first 100 days, therefore, should mark the beginning of a broader journey towards a state with stronger institutions, a more secure environment, a more diversified economy, and a greater capacity to safeguard its interests and shape its own future.