Thousands protest Iraqi power cuts after minister quits (Roundup)

Jun 22, 2010, 15:23 GMT

Baghdad(dpa) - Thousands of Iraqis demonstrated across the country Tuesday, demanding improvements to the country's delivery of electricity, one day after electricity minister resigned.

Around 10,000 Iraqis demonstrated in the city of Karbala, where hundreds of security and police forces surrounded the protestors gathered in the centre of the city, and closed all city exits leading to the demonstrators.

Another demonstration was held in Ramadi, which lies 110 km west of Baghdad, as hundreds of protestors, including local council members, protesting electricity shortages.

The protests came after Minister of Electricity Karim Waheed resigned, in the wake of violent demonstrations over the country's chronic power shortage.

Recent power cuts due to overstretched infrastructure have run to more than 18 hours a day in some places, as the country's air- conditioning needs spike due to 50-degree-celsius summer temperatures.

Waheed was asked to resign by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki due to the energy crisis, which affects most provinces, and his failure to find a solution, the al-Sabah daily quoted one of al-Maliki's aides, Hassan al-Saneed, as saying.

The minister handed in his resignation late Monday.

Scores of people have been injured recently during several protests that turned into violent clashes between the public and security forces.

Iraq's power problems go back to the early 1990s when the national electricity network was destroyed in the first Gulf War. Since the US-led invasion in 2003, all attempts at fixing the power supply crisis have failed. Power produced does not meet the actual demand.

The country's required capacity is estimated at 13,000 Megawatts, while only 7,000MW are installed, with at least 1,500 MW directed to power the Green Zone, which locals say does not suffer from power cuts at all.