Iraqi parliament summons three ministers over Basra protests
Iraqi parliament.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq’s newly-elected parliament speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi approved on Sunday a request to summon three ministers over the recent mass protests in Basra governorate.
According to Iraqi news website Alforat News, legislators from Basra governorate submitted an interpellation request against the ministers of health, construction and water resources.
The ministers will appear before the parliament to answer lawmakers’ questions about efforts they exerted to quell protests in Basra.
Oil-rich Basra is one of the southern Iraqi cities that have recently witnessed mass protests over the dire state of the nation’s economy. The demonstrators are rallying against poor public services and corruption.
The Iraqi parliament elected on Saturday al-Halbousi as its new speaker.
Halbousi had served as a member of the parliament’s finance committee in the last session.