People in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq) took to the streets in protest at prolonged power cuts in villages where electricity is only available for two to three hours a day.
During protests in the Warte district in Hewlêr (Erbil), security forces affiliated with the KDP opened fire on the crowd, killing a protester named Hasan Rahman. Four others were reported injured.
Protests were also staged in villages in the Xebat district of Hewlêr for the same reasons.
In Balisan, people took to the streets last night in protest at power cuts and blocked roads to traffic.
Is the uninterrupted electricity project a scam?
Last week, officials in the Kurdistan Region claimed that more than 30% of the region now has access to public electricity services 24 hours a day. However, large areas are still experiencing prolonged power cuts, forcing households to resort to private generators.
It is claimed that electricity supplied to rural areas is being largely cut off so that the “24 hours of uninterrupted electricity” project launched by the Kurdistan Regional Government can be implemented in city centers. This practice is considered a violation of the basic energy rights of people living in rural areas.
According to RojNews, Ali Heme Salih, a member of the Kurdistan Parliament, said in a statement regarding the project that electricity is only provided for 2-3 hours a day in rural areas to fund the 24-hour uninterrupted energy project, and that the electricity sold under the project is 7 to 10 times more expensive than normal.
Protests could spread to other regions
The rural population stated that they will not accept the discrimination they faced and warned that protests could spread to other regions. As living conditions are becoming increasingly difficult due to power cuts, the government’s energy policies are being harshly criticized by the public.
Source: ANF News
