Protest leads to clashes with police in Iraq’s Maysan – Shafaq News

Shafaq News- Maysan

Three security personnel were injured during a protest over poor
electricity supply in central Maysan on Sunday.

Clashes broke out when security forces moved to disperse the
demonstration, with protesters throwing stones at security personnel, Shafaq News correspondent reported.

Electricity Minister Ali Saadi Wahib earlier today dismissed
Nizar Qahtan Hassan as head of the ministry’s Training and Energy Research
Department for “failing to perform his duties” and reassigned him to a
lower-ranking position. The move is the latest in a series of leadership
changes since Wahib took office in May.

Read more: Corruption arrests in Iraq pass 210 under PM al-Zaidi

Power shortages remain a major source of public frustration
in Iraq, particularly during summer, when temperatures often exceed 50°C and
millions depend on private generators. Peak demand has exceeded 60,000
megawatts, while generation stands at around 20,000 MW, leaving a shortfall of
nearly 40,000 MW. The Electricity Ministry attributes the gap partly to illegal
grid connections and shortages in natural gas supplies caused by regional
conflict and disruptions linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Read more: Beyond 50°C: How decades of conflict are heating Iraq