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Iraqis rally in "Day of Regret" on poll anniversary

by (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Click For Restrictions. http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Monday, 7 March 2011 15:34 GMT

* Iraqis rally against Maliki government

* Protesters call for better basic services, less corruption

By Fadhel al-Badrani

FALLUJA, Iraq, March 7 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Iraqis protested against their government on Monday in a "Day of Regret" on the anniversary of an election that resulted in a second term for Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

In the mainly Sunni town of Falluja in western Iraq, around 1,000 protesters gathered in the city centre, chanting against Maliki, who secured a new term in office less than three months ago after months of political wrangling.

"March 7, 2010 was the day that brought Maliki to power and for this reason we are rallying today. We will continue protests until we remove him," said taxi driver Nawaf Hussein, 42.

"Every day security forces from Baghdad come to our areas to detain citizens, and all this happens due to direct orders from Maliki himself," Hussein said.

Dozens of protesters also gathered in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, biting their fingers in a sign of remorse for having voted in the election a year ago. Maliki's political bloc placed second in the election, two seats behind former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's cross-sectarian Iraqiya alliance, which was heavily supported by Iraq's Sunni minority.

The incumbent engineered a fragile alliance between Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish political blocs that allowed him to claim a second term. His cabinet, which includes members of Iraqiya, was approved by parliament in late December.

The participation of Iraqiya was considered a key to government formation and to preventing a slide back into the sectarian violence that nearly tore Iraq apart in 2006-07.

"Our votes were stolen. We swear not vote again," said Amir Ahmed, another protester in Falluja.

Iraq has been swept by protests in recent weeks but unlike uprisings across the Arab world the Iraqi demonstrators have focused on complaints about basic services and corruption rather than trying to oust their elected government.

Eight years after the U.S.-led invasion which ousted Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein, development remains slow and Iraqis complain of shortages of food rations, water, power and jobs.

In Baghdad's Tahrir Square, around 100 protesters gathered for Monday's "Day of Regret."

"I voted in 2010 to have a new, prosperous life and what we got eventually is a police state with the highest corruption rates worldwide," said Falah al-Qaisi, a civil servant at a state-run bank who took two hours off work to protest.

Protests in Iraq have so far been scattered and appear not to have the same momentum as demonstrations in other parts of the Arab world.

Unnerved by the protests, the government has taken steps to soothe public anger by cutting ministers' and lawmakers' salaries, doling out free electricity and boosting the national food ration programme.

Maliki recently gave his ministers a 100-day ultimatum to step up reforms or face the sack.

(Additional reporting and writing by Ahmed Rasheed)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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