Protests sweep across Iraqi Kurdistan region over unpaid salary, corruption

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Protesters set fire to offices of the regional Kurdish parties Monday in Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan amid widespread anger over unpaid salaries and corruption.

The demonstrators torched the office of the ruling Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), headed by the former regional President Masoud Barzani, in the city of Sulaimaniyah in northeastern Iraq, Xinhua reporter in the city said.

The protestors also set fire to the offices of KDP, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Change Movement (Gorran), Islamic Union of Kurdistan (Yekgirtu), and Islamic Group (Komela), in several cities and towns in Sulaimaniyah province, he said.

Some protests turned violent as protestors stoned the security forces guarding the Kurdish offices, and the troops responded by throwing tear gas at demonstrators to disperse them, he added.

The clashes in the city of Sulaimaniyah resulted in about 30 injuries, who were sent to hospital for medical treatment, the reporter said citing a medical source.

The protests were sparked by frustration over unpaid salaries to teachers and other civil servants, in addition to the deterioration of basic services and widespread corruption.

The Kurdistan region has been suffering from financial and economic crisis as a result of disagreement with the federal government in Baghdad over distribution of crude oil revenues extracted from the northern oil fields.

The fiscal difficulty has increased after the Iraqi forces retook control of the oil-rich province of Kirkuk and some other oil wells in the disputed areas on Oct. 16.

Tensions have been running high between Baghdad and the region of Kurdistan after the Kurds held a controversial referendum on the independence of the Kurdistan region and the disputed areas on Sept. 25, a move fiercely opposed by the Iraqi central government. Enditem