Establishing a federal region south of Iraq, called Basra Federal Region (إقليم البصرة) is supported by a number of Iraqi political parties. The Iraqi constitution allows any province to become a region with independent powers.[1]

In November 2008 Wael Abdul Latif, an Independent Islamist MP backed by tribal Sheikhs, submitted a petition to the Electoral Commission of Iraq signed by 34,800 people calling for a vote on a region of Iraq covering only the governorate of Basra.[2] The Sadrist movement opposed the move, saying it was "playing with fire" as did the Islamic Dawa Party of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq remained neutral, as it supports a nine-province Region covered the whole of southern Iraq. As the petition was signed by more than 2% of the population, the commission published an official request for signatures; if more than 10% of the population had signed it before 15 January 2009, a referendum would have been held within 15 days.[3][4] In the event, the initiative failed to reach 10% and was struck down by the Electoral Commission. Backers accused the al-Maliki federal government of blocking their media campaign and appealed the decision to the Federal Court.[5]

In September 2014 a number of locals in Basra participated in a demonstration near the headquarters of the local government in Basra, demanding the transfer of the province to a federal region.[6]

As of early 2015, the majority of the political parties, which objected to the federal plans for Iraq on the pretext that they would lead to division, are now supporting the project.[7] The Shia cleric, Ayatolla Sistani is said to disagree on establishing the Basra Region.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Basra, Iraq's Economic Capital, Wants Southern Federal Region - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". www.al-monitor.com. Archived from the original on 2015-01-03.
  2. ↑ Basra heading towards independent region Archived 2011-10-01 at the Wayback Machine, Al Sumaria, 2008-11-17, accessed on 2009-01-05
  3. ↑ A New Twist in Iraq's Shi'ite Power Struggle, Time magazine, 2008-11-16, accessed on 2009-01-05
  4. ↑ The Basra Federalism Initiative Enters Stage Two, Historiae, 2008-12-15
  5. ↑ Autonomy Referendum For Iraq's South Struck Down, Radio Liberty, 2009-01-20
  6. ↑ "URGENT: Basra demonstrators demand transfer of province to a federal region". 27 September 2014.
  7. ↑ "Basra moving toward independence - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East".
  8. ↑ "Rasa News Agency - Ayatollah Sistani rejects agreeing on Basra federal region". Archived from the original on 2015-01-03. Retrieved 2015-01-03.
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