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Unlicensed demos banned in Sulaimaniyah in
Iraqi Kurdistan, as of Tuesday
19.4.2011
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April
19, 2011
SULAIMANIYAH,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — After 62 days
of protests, the Governorate
of north Iraq’s Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah has
banned unlicensed demonstrations in the city, as
from Tuesday morning, the Province’s security
committee said in a statement.
“The Security Committee of Sulaimaniyah Province has
decided to ban any unlicensed demonstration in the
Province as from Tuesday morning,” the statement
pointed out, warning “any person who shares in such
demonstrations with detention and trial.”
The Director of Sulaimaniyah’s Emergency Hospital,
Dr. Hawar Naqshabandi has told Aswat al-Iraq news
agency on Monday that the number of victims of
clashes between demonstrators and police forces in
the city had reached 18 wounded, including 8
policemen.”
“Three of the victims had been victims of fire
shots, whilst other injuries were caused by
suffocation caused by tear-gases and stoning,” Dr.
Naqshabandi said.
At least 81 people were wounded, nine by
live fire, in
clashes between
protesters and security forces in the city of
Sulaimaniyah Monday AFP reported.
In the regional capital Erbil, dozens of students
tried to rally near a university but were
attacked by security forces,www.ekurd.neta
Kurdish lawmaker told Reuters.
Demonstrations in Sulaimaniyah [Slêmani] city has entered
their 62nd day today (Tuesday, April 19), thousands of protesters are gathering
daily
in Sulaimaniyah and other parts of Kurdistan against
corruption and the lording over Kurdistan region by
two main parties KDP and PUK. Kurdish
protestors demand the ouster of the local Kurdistan
government KRG, calling for improving services and
living conditions and fighting corruption.
Most of the demonstrators opposed Massoud Barzani, and the ruling
Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP. Seven people
were killed and more than 200 others wounded and 220
more have been arrested in clashes between
demonstrators and Kurdish security forces during a
wave or protests that swept Sulaimaniyah.
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Clashes between protesters and Kurdish security
forces in Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan region of Iraq.
April 18, 2011. Photo credit: Saman Majeed.
Hundreds protest daily against
Kurdistan president Massoud Barzani and Kurdistan regional
government KRG in Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan region of
Iraq. Monday, April 18, 2011. Photo credit: Saman
Majeed. |
The protesters demand the Kurdish government and
parliament resign to give way for “early transparent
elections”. They complain about “monopolizing the
economic and political authority,” by the two major
parties of Kurdistan. Many observe allegiance to
either of the two ruling patties a must to get
employed and hence were deprived of the right. Kurdistan suffers from
electric power deficiency but after almost 20 years
of semi autonomy.
The demonstrators have expressed dissatisfaction for
ignoring their demands to try persons, who they said
had been behind killing and wounding a number of
demonstrators, along with having failed to take
practical steps to achieve political reforms and
putting an end for corruption.
Several people have lost their lives in similar
protests against the Kurdistan regional government
in recent weeks.
For decades, the KDP
of regional president Massoud Barzani and the
PUK of Iraq's President
Jalal Talabani have lorded over the region.
Massoud Barzani and his relatives control a large number of commercial
enterprises in Kurdistan-Iraq, with a gross value of several billion US dollars.
The family is routinely accused of corruption and nepotism by Kurdish media as
well as international observers.
Iraq's Kurdish regional government has near
total autonomy and is funded by a share of the
country's oil revenue. The two parties that share
power each command former guerrilla militias that
have been given the status of regional security
forces.
Earlier Massoud Barzani told an Italian newspaper that if
50,000 Kurdistan citizens require him to step down,
he will. Afterwards, the opposition parties led a
signature campaign and reportedly collected even
more votes to oust the president. However, the
fate of those signatures is
still unclear.
Rights group Amnesty International said last week
that security forces had used excessive force
against peaceful protesters in Iraq.
Iraqi Kurdistan's regional government has near
autonomy and is funded by a share of the country's
oil revenue. The two parties that share power each
command former guerrilla militias that have been
given the status of regional security forces.
Compiled by ekurd.net from agency reports
Copyright ©, respective
author or news agency,
aswataliraq.info | ekurd.net | AFP| Agencies
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