Protesters Set Fire to Political Party Offices and Government Buildings in Iraqi Kurdistan

Reports indicate that protesters demonstrating against the economic situation in Iraqi Kurdistan took to the streets in Sulaymaniyah and other cities on Monday, December 18. It is said that during these protests, demonstrators set fire to the offices of political parties such as the Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union. According to Reuters, images shared on social media show a building belonging to the Democratic Party, the ruling party, ablaze, and a spokesperson for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which is part of the coalition government in the region, also confirmed to Reuters that an office of this party was set on fire by protesters. According to 'Ruda', a media outlet affiliated with the Kurdistan Regional Government, thousands of people in Sulaymaniyah and Halabja protested against the non-payment of salaries for employees and the lack of urban services, including electricity and water, and set fire to several party offices and government buildings. The report states that in the city of Piramagrun, north of Sulaymaniyah, protesters burned the offices of five major parties in the Kurdistan region as well as several other government buildings. Reuters notes that the holding of an 'independence' referendum by the Kurdistan Regional Government led the central government of Iraq to adopt stricter policies towards the region, exacerbating tensions within the region. On the same day, at least three thousand people protested against the Kurdistan Regional Government in Sulaymaniyah. The protesters held placards in Kurdish, Arabic, and English demanding the resignation of the officials of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Teachers, nurses, hospital staff, and other public sector employees are demanding that the Kurdistan Regional Government pay their salaries. Some protesters told Reuters that their salaries have not been paid for three years. After the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003, with the increase in Iraq's oil revenues, the Kurdistan region, like other parts of Iraq, became heavily reliant on oil revenues. However, after the Kurdistan region independently sold oil from Kirkuk in 2014, the central government of Iraq responded by implementing stricter measures against the region. The cut in budget by the central government has effectively left the region struggling to cover operational costs and pay salaries and benefits for employees. This issue has particularly intensified following the holding of the 'independence' referendum.