Important Provincial Law Could Be Key to Restoring Essential Services to Iraqis

Bolstered by breathing room from the Baghdad Security Plan, the Iraqi National Assembly has been laboring over key legislation that will be critical to reconciliation, the re-establishment of the Iraqi economy, and most importantly, normalizing life again for the Iraqi people. The Provincial Powers Law was originally lauded as one of the benchmarks that the Iraqi government was expected to fulfill, and several reports, including the GOA's report to congress and the report of the inspector general of reconstruction of Iraq, heavily criticized Iraqi tardiness in such a key issue.

Indeed, the Provincial Powers Law is among the most important legislations currently facing the Iraqi Council of Representatives, which will allow provincial councils and governments to effectively enforce the rule of law and maintain order in their own districts. Among the key services that awaits the passing of the Provincial Powers Law is the return of essential services like electricity, water, and healthcare to large parts of Iraq.

During the Baghdad Security Plan's increase in the overall security situation, however, serious headway was made into these essential services, with a 14% increase in overall power production rates from September through November of the 2006 period. The Iraqi government, as of November according to the Pentagon and Iraqi Government, have already restored 2 million cubic meters per day of potable water treatment capacity, which translates to service for 6.7 million Iraqis.

The Pentagon states, however, that its goal is to restore 2.37 million cubic meters per day of treatment capacity to produce potable water, which would be sufficient to deliver clean water to 8.4 million Iraqis. The largest hindrance, however, remains unclear Provincial rights and responsibilities, and an underlying fear of sectarian bias in water distribution, which could be solved with the aforementioned Powers Law.

Meanwhile, of the 142 planned Primary Healthcare Centers, the United States reports 85 have been completed, a 16 clinic increase since the last quarterly report to Congress, with 39 of them being handed over completely to the Iraqi Ministry of Health.

They are completely open to the public.

The Pentagon also reports 21 clinics were handed over to the Iraqi Ministry of Health in Baghdad, twelve of which are open to the public, while the Pentagon reports the remaining nine are in "various states of construction."

The Provincial Powers Law is being bolstered by a series of what the Pentagon refers to as "Provincial Reconstruction Teams", which aggressively aim to rebuild the various districts of Iraq with the assistance of American military forces. The Pentagon describes the PRTs as "essential elements in the U.S. civil-military stabilization and reconstruction effort".

If the Provincial Powers Law could effectively be passed, it would result in a domino effect of key actions that will allow Iraqis to begin the process of normalizing their lives.

Sources:

-Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq December 2007 Report to Congress
-GAO Report on Iraqi Benchmarks
-SIGIR Iraq Testimony