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Kurds Protest Energy Shortages:
Kurdistan-Iraq
7.7.2006
By Amanj Khalil in Sulaimaniyah (ICR No. 184,
7-Jul-06) |
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Kurdish officials blame central government for
long fuel lines and power cuts, but the public holds
local authorities responsible.
Kurdistan-Iraq.
Iraqi Kurds have been taking to the streets in
recent weeks to protest the shortage of fuel and
electricity in the region.
Kurdish officials have promised to fix the shortages
but blame the central government for not providing
Iraqi Kurdistan with enough resources. The argument
has not convinced residents in the northern region,
however, who blame their local authorities for not
providing basic services.
Drivers have to wait days to get their petrol
shares, which range between 25 and 40 litres per
week, and local authorities recently announced
electricity cuts despite soaring temperatures.
It is not uncommon for drivers in northern Iraq to
hang around in queues for several days before they
are told that there is no fuel left at the station.
On July 6, in the northeastern Kurdish city of
Sulaimaniyah, about 500 drivers who had waited for
fuel for more than three days poured into the nearby
streets, set tires on fire and blocked four main
streets of the city.
The Kurdish government's new riot police unit, which
was established this spring as anti-government
demonstrations have grown throughout the region,
dispersed the protesters. No demonstrators were
arrested, but two people were slightly wounded and
some cars were damaged in the protest.
Jamal Mohammad, a 41 year-old taxi driver, had spent
four days in his car waiting for fuel. He said he
has eight children and is totally dependant on his
taxi business to provide for his family.
Mohammad was among the protesters shouting, "For how
long will you [authorities] deceive us with your
dishonest speeches." They expressed frustration that
services are worsening, even though United
Nations-imposed sanctions that devastated Iraq
economically were lifted three years ago.
Iraqi Kurdistan has enjoyed semi autonomy from the
central government since 1991 and relative calm from
the violence that has engulfed the rest of Iraq
since 2003. As a result, residents hold local
authorities accountable for the lack of development.
"Stability is not enough," said Mohammad. "We need
services."
Twenty litres of fuel sells for about 14 US dollars
on the black market, while the average government
employee's monthly salary is about 100 dollars. Fuel
stations sell 20 litres of petrol for about four
dollars but the queues often stretch for at least a
kilometre.
Frustration with the Kurdish government rose again
last week when local authorities announced they
would cut power from 16 to nine hours per day as
temperatures soared above 35 degrees Celsius.
Officials blamed the central government for cutting
the region's power share, but northern residents,
citing corruption and lack of development in Iraqi
Kurdistan, believe the authorities have enough
autonomy to develop services in the region.
Protesters in Chwarqurnna, 110 kilometres north of
Sulaimaniyah, took to the streets last week over the
lack of electricity. Security forces arrested 15
demonstrators, who were charged with starting riots.
Police quelled another demonstration over lack of
resources in Sayid Sadq, 50 km east of Sulaimaniyah,
two weeks ago.
The fuel lines are often longer in Sulaimaniyah
province than they are in Baghdad and other
provinces, but electricity is generally better.
Few,
if any, areas in Iraq have round-the-clock
electricity, and those are usually border towns and
regions that receive their power from neighbouring
countries including Turkey and Iran. Iraqi
electricity is generated entirely through stations
run by fuel, which is in short supply.
This year, three oil wells have been drilled and
three refineries built in Iraqi Kurdistan, and
officials confirm that shortages will remain until
the facilities start production in about two years.
Iraq has some of the world's largest oil reserves,
but corruption, the insurgency and lack of
refineries force the government to spend billions of
dollars every year importing petrol.
Dlawar Nuri, deputy of Iraqi Kurdistan's private
projects commission, said the region needs four
million litres of fuels every day and that it now
receives less than one million litres from the
central government.
"The authorities in Baghdad make us many promises,
but they don't do anything," he said
The region has two electricity-producing dams that
generate 500 megawatts daily for the three northern
provinces, which is home to four million Iraqis. The
Iraqi government was providing 200 megawatts for the
region but cut by half last week, said local
officials.
Hersh Muharram, the head of general commission for
electricity in Sulaimaniyah, said Sulaimaniyah
province alone has less than 300 megawatts of power
and requires almost twice that per day.
But Kurds, who witness a widening gap between rich
and poor as well as rising inflation and widespread
corruption among local officials, say they don’t
believe the Kurdish authorities are honest about the
cause of the problems.
Soran Mohammad, a 27 year-old who participated in
the demonstration in Chwarqurnna, said they often
have to forgo even the simplest pleasures - such as
watching the World Cup - because of the lack of
power.
"In the heat of summer they cut our power, but they
[officials] have it for 24 hours," he said. "The
youth are very angry at the government."
Amanj Khalil is an IWPR contributor in
Sulaimaniyah.
iwpr net
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