Iraqi PM sacks electricity minister after weeks of protests
BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Sunday sacked his minister of electricity after three weeks of protests against corruption and chronic power cuts in the country.
A statement from Abadi’s office said the premier sacked Qassem al-Fahdawi, whose departure was demanded by protesters, “because of the deterioration in the electricity sector”.
Iraq has been gripped by protests over power outages, unemployment, state mismanagement and a lack of clean water.
The demonstrations — during which 14 people have been killed in clashes — erupted in the southern province of Basra, home to Iraq’s only sea port, before spreading north including to Baghdad.
On Sunday, protesters held sit-ins outside the governor’s headquarters in Basra and Samawa, in neighboring Muthana province, media said.
Power shortages are frequent in Iraq, a country devastated by conflicts including the war against the Islamic State group which held a third of the country before Abadi declared victory over the extremists in December.
Hourslong electricity cuts are a source of deep discontent among Iraqis, especially during the scorching summer months when demand for air conditioning surges as temperatures soar past 50 C.
Since the ouster of Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq has allocated some $40 billion in state funds to rebuild its power network and meet the needs of a 38-million-strong population, official figures show.
But much of that has been siphoned off amid claims of widespread corruption.
A government official said on Sunday that Abadi had also ordered investigations into fake contracts.
Fahdawi commended the premier’s call for investigations and urged ministry staff to cooperate with the probes, one of his advisers said.
Political analyst Hisham al-Hashemi did not expect Fahdawi’s sacking to appease the protest movement. For that to happen, he said, “the managers of all ministries should be put on trial”.
Power shortages have forced Iraqis to buy electricity from private entrepreneurs who run generators visible on street corners across the country.
Despite the shortages, electricity consumption has risen since 2003 as Iraqis make more use of household electronic equipment including computers and mobile phones.
Fahdawi’s sacking comes amid political tensions as Iraq awaits the results of a partial recount of May 12 elections.
The initial election results gave a bloc organized by populist Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr the largest share, with 54 seats in the 329-seat parliament. It was followed by an Iran-backed bloc — made up of Shiite militias — which won 47 seats, and Abadi’s alliance, with 42 seats.