Hundreds of Iraqis demonstrated Saturday in the sweltering southern cities of Basra and Karbala as protests over the poor quality of water and electricity supply spread across the country.
Almost 2,000 people gathered in central Baghdad chanting “thieves, thieves, thieves”, demonstrating against corruption and incompetence of Maliki regime.
In the southern oil hub of Basra, around 500 people, waving banners and Iraqi flags, protested in front of the governor’s office to demand a solution to the long-running problem of salty tap water.

“The local government is always promising improved water and electricity but they are liars and no longer have any credibility,” a demonstrator said.
“The temperature is 54 degrees (Celsius — or 129 Fahrenheit) in central Basra right now… the Basra people are very angry at their rulers.”
Raad Jassim, an employee at the South Oil Co, said Basra residents were increasingly frustrated at their region’s inability to capitalize on its massive oil wealth.
“Basra is feeding Iraq; it is bankrolling the country, and we do not even have water that is suitable for livestock,” the 36-year-old said.

According to oil ministry figures released on Saturday, 94.9 of the 96.2 million barrels of oil exported by Iraq in July came from southern oil fields.
Yet it remains under-developed and has suffered from chronic power outages, poor water quality, uncollected waste and other problems that have led a growing number of Basrawis to call for autonomy.

AFP, Basra, Iraq, 1 August 2015