BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Deputy Premier for Services Affairs Saleh al-Mutlaq expressed here today his "astonishment for the media fuss on exchanging food ration card with cash", charging that the decision was used as "electoral publicity".

 

 

In a statement by his office, copy received by Aswat al-Iraq, he added that "this matter was used for political ends", though no one was satisfied with food ration card due to its limited materials and quality.

 

 

"There are governmental attempts to better the living standards of the people, in addition to possibility of increasing the sum of money to be given", he elaborated.

 

 

The governmental decision to exchange the materials with cash ($12 per person monthly) agitated greater objections by political and religious components during the last three days.

 

 

The food ration card was first used in Iraq in 1990 following the UN sanctions.