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As government formation looms, protests in Iraq turn bloody


Sheetal Sukhija
19 Jul 2018

BASRA, Iraq - Iraq, that witnessed elections in May, is yet to form a new government and is faced with unrest that is threatening the incoming government - which will have to deal with problems facing the common citizens of the country and also their anger over it. 

Iraq witnessed unrest breaking out last week, as widespread anger over abysmal public services provision by the government grew in size and intensity.

Protests started in the southern province of Basra, which is oil-rich but those living in the region continue to battle poverty, unemployment and poor public services. 

Over the last 12 days, protests have spread to several cities including the capital Baghdad as Iraqis continue to voice their frustrations over widespread unemployment, pollution, dirty drinking water and electricity failures during a stifling heat wave in the country’s south.

With the protest continuing for over a week now, it is threatening to delay the formation of a new government that was mandated after the May elections, and has already led to break-ins to oil facilities and political offices.

So far, several parts of the country has witnessed protests, and while most of the protests have been peaceful, some have  turned violent and destructive. 

So far, at least eight demonstrators have been killed amid a government crackdown.

Reports have noted that scores of protesters and security forces have suffered injuries and that authorities have also carried out mass arrests, deployed water cannons and shut down the internet in several parts of the country.

After coming in the third place in the national elections, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who had promised jobs and public funds for Basra, has largely failed to calm anger among the public.

Amid the turmoil gripping the oil-rich south, where protests have become increasingly ugly, with buildings being set on fire, roads being blocked and infrastructure damaged, the popular Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose political bloc won Iraq's recent election offered his support to protesters on Thursday.

Sadr called on all politicians to delay efforts to form a new government until the demands of protesters seeking better services in the south are met.

In his first public comments on the unrest, Sadr tweeted, “The winning political parties in the election have to suspend all political dialogues for forming coalitions and until they meet protesters’ rightful demands.”

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