West Iraq Babel’s Governor resigns, following mass protests:

BABEL / IraqiNews.com: The Governor of West Iraq’s Babel Province, Salman Nasser Taha al-Zargany, has presented his resignation from his post on Sunday, being the second Iraqi governor resigning in the background of the mass protests that took place in the country over the past few days.   “The reason of my resignation had been the control by some political forces on the source of decision in the Province, the projects and the reason behind the detiorated services in the Province,” Zargany told a news conference, attended by directors of the Province’s service departments.   “I had presented a resignation on 23/11/2010, in protest to the distribution of positions in the Province and the government on ‘quota’ basis, but that resignation was not accepted by the Provincial Council..And then, I presented a demand changing my mind to resign on 23/10/2010, in order to continue my work, that was accepted by the Provincial Council; but I can’t continue that under the current circumstances in the Province,” he said.   Noteworthy is that Iraq’s Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, had demanded Zargani to present his resignation, in the background of the organized mass protests in his Province, that witnessed the deterioration of services, according to the semi-official al-Iraqi Satellite TV Channel on Saturday.   Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Hilla, the center of Babel Province, over the past few days, where they announced an open sit-in demonstration, till the acceptance of their demands, reflected in putting an end for corruption and granting proper services for citizens.   Hilla, the center of Babel Province, is 100 kms to the south of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.   Noteworthy is that southern Iraq’s Basra Provincial Council had approved the resignatoin of its Govenor, Shiltagh Abboud, following huge mass demonstrations demanding the improvement of services and the ending of corruption.   SKH / PT 486