On April 9, we recall the fall of the Ba'ath regime that committed the most heinous crimes against Iraqis, squandered the country's national wealth, and caused the waste of human potential of Iraqi youth as a result of engaging in wars and senseless conflicts.
It, therefore, is an opportunity to review politics in Iraq in the past two decades.
The major political transformation achieved after toppling the Saddam regime in 2003 can't be underestimated. It should be admitted that flaws can't be only justified as a legacy of the Saddam Ba'ath regime.
Today, there is an urgent need to meet the Iraqis' demands for good governance that is able to address the flaws, errors, and gaps of the past, and deal with structural imbalances of the governance system where there should be genuine and drastic reforms. And all of these urgent tasks can't be postponed.
Establishing good governance will not be achieved without restoring the Iraqi people's confidence in the state as the people are the legitimate source of authority. So the Iraqi people's interest should be placed over any other interest.
Today, after the past two decades our country goes through a sensitive juncture, in the midst of the political deadlock and the delay in forming a new government, which is totally unacceptable that more than five months had passed since conducting an early election that came in response to the popular demands to make reforms, ensure political and social stability, address the flaws in political trajectory and improve citizens' conditions.
The continuation of the political crisis may lead the country, God forbid, towards having a further dangerous situation, in which everyone will pay for it.
Today, all political forces have a historical national and moral responsibility to bring all positions together through having further serious and positive dialogues that would help the country to emerge from the current crisis.
Moreover, political parties have to work together to form a new national, sovereign, and independent government that is able to protect the country's interests and meet the Iraqi people's demands and tackle the enormous challenges ahead of us, particularly those relating to economic conditions at the midst of the regional situations and international changes.
The months following the October elections place emphasis on the importance of making constitutional amendments that must be initiated in the coming period through national consensus and understanding.
Corruption threatening the structure and the existence of the State must be curbed. There should be an equal opportunity for all the Iraqis to build and advance their country, and this requires speaking frankly and being honest with having a unified will to make reforms and review the trajectory.
We reiterate the need to establish a political and social contract that ensures domestic peace and reviews the errors and gaps of the past.
Citizens throughout Iraq, in Basra, Mosul, Baghdad, Nasiriyah, Salahuddin, and Kurdistan admit that the current situation in the country is totally unsustainable as they call for establishing a new government that would respond to their needs and their aspirations.
We pray to the Almighty to hold the martyrs' souls in mercy and to grant them eternal life in heaven.
The blood spilled on the path toward the liberation of the country, democracy, and the sacrifices made in the fight against terrorism, must not be in vain.
The President of the Republic of Iraq,
Barham Salih