Thi-Qar government to be announced next week – official

Thi-Qar THI-QAR / IraqiNews.com: A leader from Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s Dawlat al-Qanoon (State of Law) said on Thursday that the local Thi-Qar government will be announced next week. “The names of the local government’s members will be announced next week prior to the first meeting of the provincial council after consultations with the quartet committee formed by the Dawlat al-Qanoon in Baghdad,” the official said. “There is an alliance formed with al-Islah “reform” bloc,” he said, noting that there is an agreement to spare no effort in providing services to citizens. Thi-Qar, 380 km south of Baghdad, covers an area of 12,900 square kilometers (4,980.7 sq mi). In 2003 the estimated population of the governorate was 1,454,200 people. Thi-Qar was the second Iraqi province where security responsibilities were transferred from the Multi-National Force (MNF) to the Iraqis. The province’s capital is the city of al-Nassiriya. It also includes the ancient Sumerian ruins of Ur, Eridu, Lagash and Ngirsu. Before 1976 the province was known as al-Muntafiq. SH (S)/SR 2