"The city of Said Sadiq needs more than 50 billion dinars [approximately $42 million] so as not to lack basic services,” municipality leader Nabard Hassan said at a press conference after his resignation.
Hassan said that he and other local officials made their demands for more funding known to the responsible ministry, but only “a small part of our demands have been met. The financial crisis has always been an excuse not to spend the necessary money.”
“I ask for the post of head of Said Sadiq municipality to be handed over to someone else," Hassan added.
Earlier this month, demonstrations against civil sector pay cuts and delays, as well as corruption and economic mismanagement, gripped the Kurdistan Region provinces of Sulaimani and Halabja. The town of Said Sadiq in southeastern Sulaimani province witnessed some of the fiercest protests and most brutal security force crackdown.
Protesters across the two provinces were met with tear gas, water cannons and live fire by security forces, while journalists were arrested or had their equipment seized to stop them from covering the unrest.
At least nine protesters were killed in the crackdown. Two security force members also died – one killed in a clash with demonstrators in Penjwin, and another died of a stroke while on duty. At least 60 people were injured.
Akar Jabar, a 16-year-old protester from Said Sadiq, died nine days after he was shot during a December 8 demonstration, the mayor of Said Sadiq told Rudaw English. Two other protesters died during protests in the town on December 8.
The Said Sadiq offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal) and Gorran (Change Movement), as well as the town mayor’s office, were set alight in the protests.
Hassan, a member of the KIU, was appointed as municipality leader in June 2015. He took on the role after his predecessor and the town’s mayor both resigned during protests in 2014 that demanded better provision of basic services and the removal of officials from their posts.
