Iraqi Demonstrators Close Oil Facilities in Southern Iraq

Baghdad, June 12 (QNA) - Demonstrators working according to the contract and daily wage system in Basra Governorate, southern Iraq, closed a number of vital oil institutions in the governorate protesting that they were not included in the Food Security Law recently passed by the Iraqi parliament.
A security source said: Hundreds of employees have cut off the main roads leading to oil fields and refineries in the governorate, explaining that among the oil institutions that were cut were the roads leading to Al-Barjisiya, Well 20, Al-Shuaiba Refinery, Bab Al-Zubair, North Rumaila, Majnoon oil field, and West Qurna 1 and 2 field. In addition, the "Bin Omar" gas and oil station, the "Umm Qasr" road, the port and all oil and gas stations in Basra Governorate were also closed.
The source pointed out that demonstrators threatened to close all oil institutions in Basra Governorate if their demands were not met and if they were covered by the Food Security Law.
The Iraqi Council of Representatives recently voted in favor of a law regarding emergency support for food security and development, prepared by the Finance Committee in Parliament, which provides for the allocation of more than 25 trillion Iraqi dinars (about USD 18 billion), as an alternative to the draft federal financial budget for the state, which has not been approved due to the delay in the formation of the government, and the inability of the current caretaker government to approve a budget, with the aim of financing many basic sectors related to food, energy, economy, agriculture, security and development.
Voting in favor of the law comes within the framework of providing support to the current Iraqi government in order to enable it manage the affairs of the state as it is not authorized to approve a general budget for the country because it is a caretaker government. (QNA)