The headquarters of the provincial committee of the Iraqi Communist Party in
the province of Basra was subjected to a cowardly attack at 2:15am on
Sunday (2 June 2019), with a grenade which caused material damage to the
building without casualties.
This treacherous attack came after the blatant assault last month on the
offices of our party in the city of Nasiriyah and town of Souk al-Shuyukh, in the
province of Nasiriyah.
These attacks constitute a serious violation of the Constitution and the law,
and a violation of the offices of a legalized party that has representation in the
Parliament and provincial councils, including the provinces of Basra and
Nasiriyah.
These cowardly acts are not an attack on the Iraqi Communist Party alone,
but also constitute contempt for all peaceful political action, and a blatant
violation of constitutional life and democratic practice, attempting to replace
them with chaos, usurping the right to disagree, imposing opinions and
attitudes through violence instead of peaceful and democratic dialogue and
argumentation. Therefore, they threaten the whole political process and civil
peace, and undermine the prestige of the state and its institutions.
These attacks do not in any way constitute, as the miserable perpetrators may
think and believe, a way out and a solution to the comprehensive crisis that
our country is going through. They cannot cover up the notorious filed cases
of corruption and hide the ugly faces of corrupt elements, but actually reflect
the desperation of the perpetrators and their dilemma. They are unable to
stop the march of reform and change which are urgently needed not only for
salvation from the root cause of the crises, i.e. the ethno-sectarian quota
system, but also for getting rid of the criminals who have looted and plundered
public money and become excessively rich at the expense of the hunger,
disease and poverty of millions of Iraqis, many of whom can’t make a living.
We hereby state very clearly that it is the responsibility of the state institutions,
especially the security, to protect the headquarters and offices of all the
parties authorized by law, including those of the Iraqi Communist Party. They
have a duty to prevent such attacks from being repeated. We demand that
they deal with everybody impartially and professionally and expose the
perpetrators and their motives and bring them to justice to receive their just
punishment.
At the same time, we look forward to a wide condemnation of this treacherous
attack. All relevant bodies, especially the four leading authorities (the
President, Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament and Higher Judicial Council)
must shoulder their responsibilities in order to prevent the deterioration of the
situation and to ensure the rule of law, security and stability.
The Iraqi Communist Party, while condemning in the strongest terms these
cowardly attacks and refusing to be drawn to their disgraceful level, reiterates
its firm determination to defend, with all legal and constitutional means, its
right to peaceful political action and to promote its views and positions. It is
fully determined to go ahead with its reform project that the broad masses of
our people are looking forward to and which the corrupt are trying to obstruct
and frustrate.
Iraqi Communist Party.
Central Committee.
2 June 2019.