Iraq’s Oil Committee warns against politicizing incomplete projects

Shafaq News – Basra

Political leaders are exploiting incomplete oil projects as campaign tools ahead of the November 11 elections, Iraq’s Parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee cautioned on Monday.

Committee Spokesperson Ali Shaddad told Shafaq News that several high-profile energy facilities are being rushed into the spotlight despite remaining unready for operation, citing the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit at Basra’s Shuaiba Refinery as an example.

The FCC unit is part of a broader expansion led by the South Refineries Company under the Ministry of Oil. Shaddad criticized senior officials—including the prime minister and local authorities—for staging premature ribbon-cuttings to generate media attention and sway voters.

He warned that future officials, including the next oil minister, might repeat the same inaugurations, underscoring what he described as systemic dysfunction in project oversight.

Shaddad urged the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to treat such publicity events as violations that “erode public trust and distort accountability,” pressing government leaders to halt the exploitation of unfinished projects for political gain and instead focus on achieving genuine operational progress.

Read more: Elections on schedule, legitimacy in doubt: Iraq heads toward November vote