Iraq officials must ‘step up’ to enact reforms: UN envoy to AFP 0 SHARES Share it! Share TweetBy Agence France-PresseIraqi officials must ramp up their response to mass demonstrations demanding an overhaul of the political system, the United Nations’ representative in Baghdad told AFP in an exclusive interview Wednesday. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, who heads the UN’s Iraq mission (UNAMI), said the country’s authorities must “step up to the plate and make things happen”. Hennis-Plasschaert told AFP on Wednesday she did not seek to be a counter-weight to Iranian influence but said she feared “spoilers” could prevent progress. “This country unfortunately knows many actors, external, internal, that could act as spoilers (and) undermine the legitimate demands of the people,” she said.

Source: Manila Bulletin November 13, 2019 22:58 UTC