Diwaniyah
Protesters in Al-Mahnawiyah demand basic services, dismissal of local qaymaqam
DIWANIYAH — Protesters expressed their frustration over deteriorating services in Al-Mahnawiyah district, 26 miles east of Diwaniyah, on Sunday. Young men set old tires on fire to block a road near government buildings as a vehicle distributed them. The demonstrators demanded the dismissal of Ali Al-Zamili, the qaymaqam or district administrator, citing poor conditions.
In front of the governor’s building, protesters voiced their ongoing dissatisfaction. “This is the twelfth protest demanding the qaymaqam’s dismissal, but he clings to his position and returns every time after being transferred,” said one protester.
Al-Zamili has been the qaymaqam of Al-Mahnawiyah since 2004. After numerous protests, he was replaced in May 2022 but was reinstated a few months later.
“Our first demand is the dismissal of the district administrator. Secondly, we demand recognition of our lack of services and infrastructure,” another protester explained. “Since 2003, there has been no investment in projects, roads, hospitals, or any services. Our water is scarce and electricity supply is erratic, cycling on and off every fifteen minutes instead of the expected two hours.”
An adviser to Diwaniyah governor Abbas Al-Zamili , Jawad al-Bolani MP, visited the protesters, who presented their demands for the qaymaqam’s dismissal. They were promised a response within 72 hours, while protesters vowed to continue their demonstrations until action is taken.
“We don’t know where the budget goes. Despite Diwaniyah having almost the second-largest budget allocation, no project proceeds without the backing of political parties or MPs. This is what leads to corruption,” stated another protester.
Residents cited long hours of power outages and a lack of services and infrastructure projects in Al-Mahnawiyah. “This neglect is unfair to Al-Mahnawiyah, to other districts and sub-districts, and to the center of Diwaniyah itself,” said one protester.
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