ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Residents of Penjwen town in Sulaimani province have been protesting for two days after the government stopped providing 24-hour electricity. People have taken to streets and closed shops, demanding the restoration of the reduced hours of power. Halabja is located on the Iranian border and the temperature is often minus in winter. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) used to provide the town with 35 megawatts of power. This was sufficient for 24-hour electricity. However, the government recently reduced it to 30 megawatts despite freezing weather, meaning that people are provided 19-20 hours of power per day. Dozens of residents have been protesting against the decision since Wednesday. Although the temperature was minus 10 late Wednesday, the protesters remained on the streets, blocking the strategic road which links the town to Iran. Omar Mahmoud told Rudaw’s Horvan Rafaat on Thursday that they have not even been provided enough heating oil by the KRG. Most shops have been closed as a protest against the reduction of power hours. The population of Penjwen is over 50,000 and the recent increase in the number is causing shortage in power. Zana Abdulrahman, mayor of Penjwen, told Rudaw that they have officially conveyed the demand of people to the KRG but there is no sign that it will be met “because demand for electricity is very high and if we want to meet it we have to cut it from another place; therefore we have to continue with the 30 megawatt.”
