Latest news with #BaghdadProvincialCouncil
Shafaq News
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Power play: Baghdad official accuses cabal of controlling electricity
Shafaq News/ Entrenched 'suspicious networks' are manipulating electricity distribution in residential districts, Baghdad Provincial Council member Ola al-Tamimi revealed on Sunday. In a statement, al-Tamimi claimed that a coordinated group, including district administrators, neighborhood mukhtars (community leaders), and certain security personnel, has seized influence over electricity control units, enabling them to selectively cut or restore power across residential areas. 'Despite the widespread presence of generators, some of whom operate government-supplied units, national electricity remains scarce,' she noted. Al-Tamimi warned that the power crisis was foreseeable, stating she had previously cautioned that this year would bring 'disastrous' conditions due to mismanagement and inconsistent planning by the Ministry of Electricity. The official also criticized generator operators for disregarding official pricing regulations, often justifying inflated fees by citing high diesel (kerosene) costs and irregular supply. Notably, Baghdad province had earlier set a standardized fee of 10,000 Iraqi dinars per ampere (roughly $7.65) for round-the-clock 'golden' access to generator power.
Shafaq News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Martyrs Street: Baghdad honors Feyli Kurds
Shafaq News/ Iraqi authorities have renamed a major Baghdad thoroughfare 'Martyrs of the Feyli Kurds Street,' in the country's first official move to commemorate victims of the Baath regime's campaign against the Shiite Kurdish minority. The street runs from Karada through Nahdha to the outskirts of Sadr City and Palestine Street in eastern Baghdad. It houses hundreds of commercial establishments and holds symbolic weight for the Feyli community. 'This is the first time a street in Iraq has been named after the Feyli Kurdish martyrs,' Fuad Ali Akbar, parliamentary advisor on Feyli affairs, told Shafaq News, adding that the road was formerly known as 'Revolution Street' and that the Baghdad Provincial Council approved the renaming in 2017, although final endorsement came recently from the President. The Feyli Kurds, primarily based in eastern and central Iraq, were subjected to mass deportations, executions, and denaturalization during the late 1970s and 1980s under Saddam Hussein's government. Tariq al-Mandalawi, an advisor to the Prime Minister on Feyli affairs, confirmed that 16,350 Feyli Kurds are registered as martyrs with the government's Martyrs Foundation, part of an estimated 60,000 executed during the former regime's campaign. Despite multiple court rulings recognizing the genocide, implementation of compensation laws and institutional reforms has been slow. Officials and community representatives view the renaming as a symbolic but long-overdue step toward acknowledgment and historical justice.
Shafaq News
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Baghdad council member quits Taqadum party
Shafaq News/ A member of the Baghdad Provincial Council, Rafah Al-Zubaie, announced on Sunday her withdrawal from the Taqadum (The National Progress) party led by former Iraqi parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi. In a statement, Al-Zubaie said her decision was in protest against "exclusion and obstruction of free and collective action." Taqadum secured eight seats out of 49 in the Baghdad Provincial Council during Iraq's 2023 local elections. However, the party has faced a series of defections following Al-Halbousi's removal from the speakership. On June 6, 2024, eleven lawmakers and provincial council members announced their departure from Taqadum, forming a new political bloc called the Initiative (Mubadara) Coalition. The group included senior figures such as Shalaan Al-Karim. Member of Parliament Ziad Al-Janabi held a press conference at the time to declare the split, which effectively cost Taqadum a third of its parliamentary seats. The defectors attributed their withdrawal to political stagnation and the prolonged failure of the legislature to elect a new speaker, demanding the implementation of the political agreement framework that led to the formation of the current government under Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. Following the formation of the Initiative bloc, lawmaker Nawras Al-Eisa also announced her departure from Taqadum to join the new coalition. Further rifts emerged when senior Taqadum member Kareem Al-Dulaimi declared his resignation from the party, criticizing Al-Halbousi's leadership style as "authoritarian" and accusing him of monopolizing decision-making and suppressing dissenting opinions.
Shafaq News
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Baghdad declares public holiday for Nasrallah's funeral
Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Baghdad Governor Abdul-Muttalib Al-Alawi declared Sunday a public holiday, in line with a decision by the Baghdad Provincial Council, to coincide with the funeral of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. According to a statement from the Baghdad Governorate's media department, the decision aims to accommodate the large public turnout expected for the funeral. Authorities stated that the suspension of official working hours will help facilitate the movement of citizens, particularly those participating in the funeral procession. Nasrallah was assassinated in a targeted Israeli airstrike on September 27, 2024, amid tensions between Hezbollah and Israel.
Shafaq News
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Administrative Court halts dismissal of Baghdad Provincial Council chairman
Shafaq News / On Sunday, the Administrative Court issued an interim order suspending the dismissal procedures against Ammar Al-Qaisi, the Chairman of the Baghdad Provincial Council, effectively reinstating him pending the resolution of a legal case. An official court document, signed by Chief Justice Othman Salman Al-Abboudi on February 9, 2025, stated: "The court decided to suspend the dismissal procedures of Ammar Hussein Mutlaq from his position as Chairman of the Baghdad Provincial Council until the resolution of case number (961/Q/2025) per Articles (151, 152) of the Civil Procedures Law No. (83) of 1969. This decision is subject to appeal before this court." This development follows the council's decision on Thursday to dismiss Al-Qaisi by an absolute majority of its members, citing dissatisfaction with his responses during a questioning session. In a subsequent session on Saturday, the council elected Ammar Al-Hamdani as the new chairman, replacing Al-Qaisi.
