Shafaq News/ The Governor of Dhi Qar, Ahmed al-Khafaji, announced his resignation from his position in a press conference he held earlier today, Thursday.
Al-Khafaji said that his first deputy, Muhammad Hadi, will run the governorate administration until naming a new governor, which sparked discontent among the demonstrators of al-Haboubi Square, downtown the capital city of Dhi Qar, Nasiriyah.
The demonstrators warned of "unfavorable" reverberations if the governorate went forward with Hadi's appointment.
Spokesperson to governor said in a statement that al-Khafaji opted to step down "out of concern for the public interest, as well as the security, stability, and the interest of the people of our governorate."
A source told Shafaq News Agency that the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, approved the resignation of al-Khafaji and the former is contemplating potential alternatives to replace the resigned governor.
The name of the new head of the local government will be announced within the next 48 hours, the source added.
Another source revealed that "powerful parties" inside the Council of Ministers' Secretariat exerted pressure upon al-Khafaji to submit his resignation.
Al-Khafaji refused initially and demanded the parties pushing him toward resignation to present evidence of his mismanagement.
"He asked them to dismiss him because he will not resign," the source said, "he accused them of buying off some October demonstrators to demonize the revolution and seize over power in the governorate."
