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We need electricity!
:Kurdistan
Regional Government
28.11.2009
By Mariwan Faydullah Salihi in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan
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Enough is enough; people need electricity as they
need water and food to survive
November 28, 2009
ERBIL-Hewlęr,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', (ekurd.net), —
Since two years now, Iraq's Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG) MinisWe need electricity!
:Kurdistan Regional Governmenttry of Electricity,
has promised citizens on several occasions to
provide electricity 24 hours a day. Nothing of this
has been implemented as of now.
It is winter now, which means temperatures in this
mountainous area can get very low and days become
shorter. During these dark periods, people need
heaters to keep themselves warm and power to keep
their lights on. But with the continuous cut of
power, especially during the commencement of the
cold winter season, this is hard to achieve.
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Mariwan
Faydullah Salihi |
What surprises people most are that the KRG, now for
almost 18 years, can not provide its citizens enough
electricity power. Moreover, since the American
invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the removal of
international sanctions (1991-2003) on the country,
the Kurdistan Region has barely to none, seen any
violence or acts of terrorism, as it is the case in
other areas of Iraq. So why does our government not
provide us with electricity, as it is a vital human
requirement? This is, in the opinions of many –
including me- , a violation of basic human rights.
Kurdistan Region is not a poor region any more, so
we have to look at this problem in a very serious
way. Kurdistan already exports oil and has become an
investment gate to the rest of Iraq, receiving
billions of US dollars each year. And if this is not
enough, this region of around 4-5 million
inhabitants, receives annually 17% of Iraq's total
budget,www.ekurd.netmore
than enough to see wide-spread construction and
prosperity, just like the Arab Gulf States. Our
Government, as we speak, still mostly relies on the
private sector, including the vital electricity
sector. The recently opened gas-fuelled electricity
plant in Erbil was not built by the KRG, but rather
through the private sector. What a shame, I should
say. What happens to the billions of dollars the
government annually collects? If most projects
(schools, hotels, shopping malls, hospitals, etc.)
are built by the private sector and foreign
investments, what does our own Government provide
then?
Enough is enough; people need electricity as they
need water and food to survive. I know that the
electricity sector has improved in recent years, but
it's going too slow and problems still occur each
day. How can we become part of the modern world when
our country and its citizens don't have enough
electricity to keep their lights on, watch TV, keep
themselves warm and cook their food? Young people,
like me, go to schools, universities or work every
morning without adequate electricity power. How can
we become part of a civilized world when our basic
rights are denied? Since almost two months now, when
waking up in the morning around 6 or 7 a.m.,
suddenly the power cuts for several hours. How am I
supposed to take a hot shower then, or dress up?
I don't want to sound too critic against our
Government, but honest is honest. The KRG has done a
lot for us, which we should be thankful about. But
still, a lot of money has been waist on unnecessary
projects and it is time to put the electricity
sector on priority. No one here wants a 20-year
electricity master plan (recently announced during a
conference in Erbil) to solve our issues. We need
quick and immediate solutions right away. It is
winter, for Gods sake, people are freezing!
I recently returned from abroad with my family,
living all my life outside Kurdistan. Electricity
cuts like these are not civilized welcome-signs for
people returning from the diaspora or foreigners
visiting our region. I would discourage anyone to
visit Kurdistan or to invest in it, unless the
government finds immediate solutions (with its
budget!) to the bad and worsening electricity
sector.
As I am typing this on my laptop, the electricity
has been cut for almost four hours and our house has
become like a gigantic refrigerator…I can barely
move my fingers, because of the cold.
Wait a second…electricity is back again! I think I
am going to host a huge party tonight because of my
happiness. Thank you KREG (Kurdistan Regional
Electricity Government) for bringing back power
again, but please keep it on until I finish my
assignments.
May God bless Iraq and Kurdistan this winter!
Mariwan
Faydullah Salihi, journalist at
Kurdish Globe and Rudaw in Erbil/Iraqi Kurdistan and
regular eKurd.net contributing writer. You may reach the author via email at: mariwan.journalist (at) gmail.com
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