Iraq: Southern provinces mull federal region

Iraqpress ^ | 06/02/04 | Iraqpress

[Pikamax]

Southern provinces mull federal region

Basra, Iraq Press, June 2, 2004 – The first federal entity outside the autonomous Kurdish region may emerge in southern Iraq.

Three southern provinces – Basra, Amara and Wasit – are considering forming a self-rule region of their own.

News of the new autonomous region comes as the Iraqis have selected an interim government to which Washington will transfer sovereignty on June 30.

The new government, headed by Ayad Allawi, has reiterated its commitment to the establishment of a federal and democratic Iraq as envisaged by the basic law or interim constitution.

The governors of the three provinces are reported to be willing to draw on the experience the Kurds have accumulated in running their own affairs.

Under the basic law every three provinces or more have the right to unite and form a federal region of their own.

The three Kurdish provinces of Arbil, Sulaimaniya and Dahouk, have their a regional parliament and two regional governments.

Their legislative body passes laws that are only effective within the administrative borders of the three provinces.

They also have their separate police and security forces, which have so far kept the Kurdish region relatively peaceful and quiet in comparison to other parts of the country.

The governors of the three southern provinces would first like to unite their police and security guards to restore law and order in a bid to lure foreign companies and entrepreneurs to the region.

They are also determined to set up a regional legislature and would like to hold local elections after the forthcoming general elections to elect a National Assembly and a new government by the end of 2004.

But the move, though in line with the interim constitution, has raised eyebrows from several members of the new interim government since the three provinces hold more than 60 percent of Iraq’s proven oil reserves.

However, the Kurds have welcomed the step, saying the emergence of another autonomous region will give a boost to their own.

Meantime, insiders say the provinces of Tikrit, Anbar and Nineveh are contemplating the establishment of a federal region which will group together most of Sunni Arabs in Iraq.

All Iraqi provinces, apart from Baghdad, have the right to set up federal regions under the new interim constitution.

Ipfront

ippol

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Wassup in Wasit?

[expatpat]

Sounds promising, at least in the short run, and matches the natural shape of the country. The desire to get organized so as to get private investment is a good sign.

In the longer term, three separate states may be a prelude to civil war.