Baghdad council elects new governor following violent, nationwide protests: report

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The provincial council in Iraq’s capital Baghdad has elected a new governor after the previous one was sacked last week following nationwide protests, according to reports on Wednesday.

The Baghdad Provincial Council reportedly elected Mohammed Jabar al-Atta as the city’s new governor, Anadolu Agency said. Atta, a member of the State of Law coalition in the Iraqi Parliament, replaces Falah al-Jazairi.

The change follows a recent wave of violent, nationwide protests which began in early October. The demonstrations have reportedly led to the deaths of at least 100 people and thousands more injured.

Security forces cracked down on protesters, with many accusing them of using excessive force and gunfire to prevent the demonstrations from spreading.

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The central government in Baghdad also imposed a curfew and cut internet connections in many southern provinces where the unrest was taking place.

Violence permeated protests since they began in Baghdad and spread to major southern cities, marking the worst instance of instability since the so-called Islamic State was defeated nearly two years ago. Many were killed by direct sniper fire.

Shortly after the protests began, Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi attempted to calm demonstrators with promises of reform and a cabinet shuffle. They failed to quell the anger of the public, who continue to call for a complete governmental overhaul amid shortages of public services, high rates of unemployment, and chronic corruption.

On Saturday, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command (JOC), which coordinates the nation’s many military and police forces, announced the formation of an investigative committee to probe reported use of force by the security forces.