Today's Newspapers Follow The Latest Preparations For The Local Elections And Iraq's Situation Regarding The Energy Problem In The World

Baghdad / NINA / -The newspapers issued in Baghdad today, Monday, July 24th, followed the latest preparations of the Electoral Commission to hold local elections next December, the situation of Iraq and its position on the global energy problem, and other issues, including Iraq's achievement of the highest production and self-sufficiency of wheat.

 On the preparations for the elections, Al-Sabah newspaper, published by the Iraqi Media Network, said: "More than 40,000 stations in 7,000 polling stations are preparing to hold the provincial council elections to be held on December 18."

 The assistant media spokesman for the Election Commission, Nebras Abu Souda, said in an interview with the newspaper: "The commission operates according to a timetable, and that the election stages begin with updating the voter register, which began on July 9 and lasts for a month. There is a stage of receiving lists of candidates and alliances that began on July 15, as well as registering parties and alliances that wish to participate in the elections."

 She explained: "The commission has registered 281 political parties since 2015, and all of these parties are able to participate in the upcoming elections, and there are political parties under registration," noting that "more than 23 million voters from 15 governorates are entitled to participate in the provincial council elections, and more than 16 million voters of them have biometric cards."

 Abu Souda confirmed that: "With the facilities provided by the government, all obstacles have been overcome, and there is no major issue to mention. In general, any electoral process anywhere in the world is accompanied by obstacles, and the Elections Commission, through the operational committee consisting of a group of technicians, administrators and legal professionals, is ready to keep pace with and overcome obstacles, if any."

For his part, the Director of Procedures and Training at the Election Commission, Dawood Salman Khudair, said: "We have more than 1,800 mobile teams spread throughout the governorates covered by the elections, and these teams are also spread in official departments and all government joints throughout the governorates."

 He added, according to the newspaper: "The number of voters who updated their data is more than 140,000, the number of registered parties is 281, the number of parties wishing to register is 69, and the number of alliances is 41."

 Al-Zawraa newspaper, which is published by the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, followed the situation of Iraq and its position regarding the energy problem in the world due to the Russian-Ukrainian war.

 In this regard, the newspaper referred to the assertion of the government's financial advisor, Madhar Muhammad Salih: "Iraq will remain one of the last countries in the world that has the ability to export oil."

 Muhammad Saleh said in an interview with Al-Zawraa: "There is a growing and continuous demand in the world for clean and unclean energy resources in general, and that the world is in a struggle over the issue of carbon sequestration, so any energy that causes pollution will have taxes, and certainly we may be exposed to it."

 He explained: "Oil is a depleted commodity and not a free commodity, just as oil production in the world varies, and whenever prices fall, many extractive fields stop, which are called marginal or sub-marginal fields, that is, the cost becomes higher than the revenue."

Indicating: "This reveals two features that characterize Iraqi oil in particular. The first is that it is one of the cheapest oil extractions in the world. Even if the marginal mass of oil in the world increases and many fields stop because, for example, energy alternatives or because prices become unfeasible, Iraqi oil remains required, even if at a minimum."

 He stressed: "Iraq remains one of the last countries in the world that has the ability to export oil," adding: "But this does not mean that it is not necessary to diversify the economy and rely on other sources, and this issue has become mandatory, and that the sources of national income, instead of being dominated by oil, should be dominated by digital services, agriculture, the manufacturing industry, and many things in life."

 The PM advisor added: "In the short term, as long as the war continues between Russia and Ukraine, there is an energy problem in the world because Russia is considered one of the largest gas exporting countries in the world and number one, and at the same time it is the second largest oil producer in the world and its gas and oil production is faltering, and it is in a political and war blockade."

 He continued: "Our ability to provide an offer, even if it is sometimes a cheap offer, but this does not mean reassuring the energy markets in the world, as they are cautious and fuel is a vital material in industry and in operating the wheels of economic and industrial life."

In the economic matter as well, Al-Zaman newspaper followed the success of the wheat marketing season and Iraq's achievement of the highest level of wheat production in its history.

 It quoted the Minister of Trade, Atheer Al-Ghurairy, as saying at a conference at the end of the wheat marketing season for the current year: “Iraq has achieved self-sufficiency, with a rate of receipt that is the highest in the history of wheat cultivation,” noting: “The ministry was able to reach self-sufficiency this year, by marketing five million and more than one hundred thousand tons of the local wheat crop.”

 Al-Ghurairy explained: "The indicator of success achieved for this season came with government support and firm directives in following up the marketing process and providing farmers with financial dues and the required materials to support the process of cultivation, harvesting and selling wheat, to secure the required quantities and raise storage capacity."

 The Minister of Trade explained: "The staff of the ministry has been implementing the instructions in line with the government program and providing local wheat to reduce imports, to support this season and enhance food security," referring to the provision of large quantities of wheat during the current marketing season, as well as preventing its smuggling, in cooperation with the security services in all governorates./ End