Calm
Baghdad, Oct. 6, 2019 (dpa/NAN) Iraqi Prime Minister, Adel Abdel-Mahdi, has announced a package of social measures aimed at ending days of deadly anti-government protests as calm prevailed on Sunday in the capital Baghdad.
Since Tuesday, thousands have taken to the streets of Baghdad and several provinces to protest corruption, lack of job opportunities and poor services – in particular, access to electricity and clean water.
The protests left at least 100 people dead and thousands of others wounded.
In a cabinet meeting late on Saturday, Abdel-Mahdi said the initiatives include designating those killed in the protests as “martyrs”, thus granting some benefits and privileges to their families.
He also said all the wounded protesters and security forces will be treated at the expense of the state, including overseas treatment, according to a statement by Abdel-Mahdi’s office.
A programme will be launched to build 100,000 homes across Iraq, giving priority to the poorest provinces.
Abdel-Mahdi also said the government would spend on the job training for 150,000 unemployed Iraqis and offer some loans to start small and medium-sized enterprises.
On Saturday, Parliament speaker, Mohammed al-Halbousi, said that legislators recommended that the government halt a crackdown on informal housing across alternative dwellings are provided.
Al-Halbousi also unveiled a recommendation to appoint all employees working on contracts at the state institutions.
Baghdad was calm on Sunday, with security forces heavily deployed at central Tahrir Square, a focal point of the protests.
Employees returned to their jobs and municipal workers were seen cleaning the streets of burnt tyres and waste left by the protests.
The council of Baghdad province accepted the resignation of the capital’s Governor, Falah al-Jazairi, in a vote on Sunday.
Council Head, Riad Adad, said candidates for the post could apply in the next five days.
The protests come one year after Abdel-Mahdi took office in Iraq, which is still grappling with a lengthy U.S.-backed military campaign against the Islamic State extremist group. (dpa/NAN)
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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde