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WORLD NEWSSaturday 15 August 2015
Thousands of Iraqis rally in support of government reforms
Demonstrators chant in support of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi as they wave national Saad Maan, spokesman rated on what changes he
for Iraq’s interior ministry, wants to make.
flags during a demonstration in Tahrir Square in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Aug. 14,2015. Thousands estimated some 14,000 Still, most of those gath-
people were protesting in ered in Baghdad’s Tah-
of people demonstrated in cities across Iraq on Friday to show support for a reform plan put forth Baghdad alone. rir Square and elsewhere
The crowds waved Iraqi in the country said Iraq’s
by the prime minister this week while still demanding that greater measures be taken to target flags and banners showing problems are far from re-
their support for the first of solved. The demonstrators
corruption and restore basic services. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim) several reform measures continued to call on the
from Prime Minister Haider government to improve
VIVIAN SALAMA for a reform plan put forth People sang, chanted al-Abadi. “With our souls basic services, particularly
Associated Press by the prime minister this and played music at the and our blood, we sacri- the electricity grid. Chronic
BAGHDAD (AP) — Thou- week while still demanding demonstrations, the larg- fice for you, oh Iraq!” they power outages amid sear-
sands of people demon- that greater measures be est of which were in the chanted. ing summer heat spurred
strated in cities across Iraq taken to target corruption cities of Baghdad, Babel, On Sunday, al-Abadi re- the latest round of protests
on Friday to show support and restore basic services. Basra and al-Kut. Brig. Gen. sponded to the demands two weeks ago — a short-
of protesters and a call by fall that actually dates
the country’s most revered back to 2003 shortly after
Shiite cleric to target cor- the U.S.-led invasion. They
ruption and curb reckless also demanded that the
government spending. government take a tough
His plan, unanimously ap- stance on the corrupt judi-
proved by parliament Tues- ciary.
day, eliminates the three “No services, no electricity,
vice presidencies and the no water, unemployment,
three deputy prime minis- Iraq is finished,” said Oday
ter posts. The reforms also Jassim, 25, in Baghdad.
expand the powers of the “There are no schools, no
prime minister, allowing education, no healthcare
him to sack provincial gov- — we’re destroyed!”
ernors and the heads of Calls to dissolve the par-
provincial and local coun- liament and stop judicial
cils. corruption were among
Al-Abadi also vowed the demands of the day,
Wednesday to hold a refer- with protesters chanting
endum to make changes “Medhat Mahmoud: Ille-
to the constitution, saying gitimate!” referring to the
he wants to correct “mis- head of the country’s su-
takes.” He has not elabo- preme judicial council.q
Yemeni women stage a rare
protest in rebel-held capital
AHMED AL-HAJ hoarding subsidized fuel to
Associated Press sell at a profit on the black
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — market.
Hundreds of Yemeni wom- “The Houthis have no
en protested Friday in the shame,” protester Kholoud
country’s rebel-held capi- Abdullah said. “They trade
tal over a shortage of gas- with our fuel and then they
oline, a rare sign of dissent treat us like we are gang-
against the Shiite Houthi sters or bandits.”
rebels that overran Sanaa The protest came as the
in September. Houthis face a widen-
The demonstration started ing military campaign by
at a women-only gas sta- pro-government forces
tion when a station official backed by Saudi airstrikes,
told some 500 waiting cus- pushing the rebels out of
tomers there was no fuel, previously-held territories
protester Onisya Mahfouz in the south. The protest
said. A fight broke out and was a sign of increasing
a woman slapped the offi- frustration among ordinary
cial, who detained her and citizens with hardships and
four others, Mahfouz said. shortages that have deep-
The women staged an ened following months
impromptu sit-in, burning of fighting in Sanaa. Fuel
tires and demanding the shortages and subsidies
detained women be re- have been a contentious
leased. They accused the political issue in Yemen,
Houthi station manage- one of the poorest coun-
ment and government of tries in the Arab world.q
