|
Thousands demand separate region for
Iraq's Basra
28.12.2008
|
|
|
|
December
28, 2008
BASRA,
Southern
Iraq,— Thousands of
protesters in Iraq's southern oil city of Basra
demanded their own federal region on Saturday, akin
to minority Kurds' peaceful, prosperous enclave in
the country's north.
Some three thousand people took to the streets in
mainly Shi'ite Basra, demanding a referendum on
whether the city and surrounding province might
become a semi-autonomous state.
"Yes, yes for the Basra region," demonstrators
shouted.
Ahmed Ali, a 27-year-old civil servant, said Basra
wanted to "cut the cord with the central government,
which has brought us only trouble, poverty and
unemployment."
While the odds appeared long that such a bid could
succeed, it reflects Iraqis' deep discontent with
the government in Baghdad and highlights the power
struggle unfolding in a nation that is home to a
volatile mix of religions and ethnicities.
Even as security improves across Iraq, the
government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a
Shi'ite,www.ekurd.net
is criticized by many
Iraqis for failing to deliver basic services and
prosperity.
Some in Basra, which produces three-quarters of
Iraq's oil, see themselves marginalized by
successive Baghdad governments since the U.S.-led
liberation to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003 and
aspire to the same status as Iraqi Kurdistan region.
Kurdistan, the northern region that has enjoyed
de-facto autonomy since 1991, has its own parliament
and security forces, but receives budget revenues
from Baghdad. Today's teenagers are the first
generation to grow up under Kurdish rule. Kurdistan
region has all the trappings of an independent state
-- its own constitution, its own parliament, its own
flag, its own army, its own border, its own border
patrol, its own national anthem, its own education
system, its own International airports, even its own
stamp inked into the passports of visitors.
According to the Iraqi constitution, any of its 18
provinces can hold such a referendum if it can
muster signatures from 10 percent of voters.
Efforts to gather signatures began on December 14,
after Wa'il Abd al-Latif, a parliamentarian from
Basra, presented a petition calling for a
referendum.
Residents can participate in the signature drive
until January 14. Only 15,400 signatures have been
collected so far.
Latif accused the Electoral Commission of improperly
handling the signature drive. "It is not
independent," he said.
Tensions are rising in Iraq's south as rival Shi'ite
politicians vie for support ahead of provincial
elections on January 31, Iraq's first elections in
more than three years.
A feud is also simmering between Baghdad and Arbil,
the Kurdish capital, over control of vast oil
reserves.
Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told tribal
leaders in the largely Shi'ite holy city of Kerbala
on Saturday he would respect desires for
power-sharing but resist separatism.
"We will not allow anyone to undermine the state or
tear apart its unity," he said. "We need a strong
state."
Some Shi'ite Islamists,www.ekurd.net
including some in
Maliki's own alliance, have called for an autonomous
state covering the majority Shi'ite south. Basra
politicians say their drive is unrelated, and claim
support from Sunnis and Christians.
Basra has made a few failed bids for autonomy since
it was an Ottoman province.
Copyright, respective
author or news agency, Reuters
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
®
