Low-level Baathists may be reinstated in Iraq

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Source: CCTV.com | 01-14-2008 09:14

Iraq's parliament has passed a new law that will allow lower-ranking former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party to reclaim government jobs.

The move was cautiously welcomed in the capital Baghdad.

Iraq's parliament has passed a new law that will allow lower-ranking former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party to reclaim government jobs.(CCTV.com)

The Iraqi parliament passed the Accountability and Justice Law on Saturday.

Some Iraqis say such a law is good for the country.

Husam Al-Karradi, Baghdad Resident, said, "A decision like this is the right thing to do to make life better for Iraqis"

Some supported it with concerns.

Jamal Adnan, Baghdad Resident, "I support the Accountability and Justice Law on the condition that it should not be based on sectarianism and it should not harm any one whose hands are not stained with Iraqis' blood."

The United States has been calling for this move for two years.

It's not immediately clear how many former Baathists will benefit from the new legislation.

But it's seen as a key step in the reconciliation process.

The measure seeks to relax restrictions on the rights of former party members to fill government posts.

It also would allow reinstatement of thousands of lower-ranking Baathists dismissed from government jobs in the first month after Baghdad fell to invading American forces.

De-Baathification was one of the first controversial steps taken by Washington after it took over Iraq in 2003.

Critics say it forced Sunnis to join the rebels, fueling the long-running insurgency against Iraq's new Shi'ite rulers and US forces.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei