ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Barham Salih, newly elected president of Iraq, told reporters on Tuesday that Basra is the economic capital of Iraq and pledged that the needs and demands of the southern province would be met by the incoming government. Following a meeting at the presidential palace in Baghdad with a delegation of Basra officials, Salih told a press conference the status of the southern province as the economic capital of Iraq is enshrined under Iraqi law. “We talked in detail about necessary measures to resolve the current issue of drinking water but we also talked about the demands to reactivate the law which considers Basra as economic capital of Iraq. This law is vital for all Iraqis not only the people of Basra,” Salih said. The delegation was headed by Basra governor Asaad Al Eidani, who also congratulated Salih for his election to the presidency. The Iraqi parliament approved a draft law on April 27, 2017 naming the province the country’s economic capital. The law intends to “develop and strengthen the reality of the Iraqi economy, and to bring about comprehensive economic development and improve the standard of living and services of Iraqi citizens in general and the citizen in particular,” reads the concluding paragraph of the law. The law also stipulates that job opportunities and several income sources shall be secured by the people of the province. Additionally, “free trade zones shall be established within the administrative border of Basra province where exclusive legal provisions will be applied.” The approval of the law entitles the city the revenues of two small natural gas fields. Deadly protests rocked Basra this summer. Chief among the demands of protesters are basic services, job opportunities, and an end to corruption. President Salih told journalists he will be in touch with the people of Basra and be the “defender” of their rights and interests. “Basra is a significant historical, cultural, and economic place in this country. I will stay in touch with the people of Basra as the President of Iraq and I will be the real defender of their interests and rights in order for them to enjoy their country’s resources and necessary services.”
