Iraqi PM Adel Mahdi says new electoral reforms to be announced in coming days

The Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Mahdi has said new electoral reforms would be announced over the next few days, giving no further details.

In a statement on Saturday, the Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi also said the ongoing protests in the country are important in bringing about reform, urging a return to normal life.

According to Aljazeera, “The protests have helped and will help pressure political groups, the government … to reform and accept change,” Abdul Mahdi said. “However continuing protests must allow for a return to normal life, which will lead to legitimate demands being met.”

In his statement, Abdul Mahdi promised that the government and judiciary will continue to investigate the deaths, adding that all detainees who have been arrested in the past several weeks would be released.

“Anybody who was assaulted, kidnapped, or anybody who participated in the felony of assault, kidnap, or arrest outside of the legal framework, will face trial,” it read.

Abdul Mahdi’s statement came almost a week after he had appealed to protesters to suspend their movement, which he said had achieved its goals and was hurting the economy.