Babil Council faces public test amid governor protests, official says
Shafaq News– Babil
The selection of a new governor in Iraq’s Babil has become a critical test for the provincial council after protests signaled broad public rejection of quota-based politics, a senior official warned on Wednesday.
Council member Mohammed Al-Mansouri told Shafaq News that the demonstrations, which drew participation from tribal elders, academics, and other social figures, marked “a clear break with public silence” and reflected growing opposition to power-sharing arrangements that, he argued, have weakened the province’s administration in recent years.
According to Al-Mansouri, the council now faces a decisive choice: respond to the will expressed on the street or adhere to instructions from political bloc leaders in Baghdad who reportedly continue to rely on quota-based distribution of senior posts.
The protests, he stressed, carried constitutional significance, pointing to Article Five of Iraq’s constitution, which states that the people are the source of authority.
On Tuesday, dozens of Babil residents demonstrated in support of former lawmaker Amir Al-Maamouri as governor, rejecting party-driven deals and centralized political decisions. Protesters said their support was based on his performance during a four-year parliamentary term and pledged to continue peaceful demonstrations until their demands are met.
At the institutional level, the council’s legal committee outlined the mechanism for selecting a new governor, confirming that the objective is to appoint a figure capable of managing the next phase in line with local priorities.
Babil has a history of unrest linked to governance disputes. In 2020, the provincial council voted to dismiss its chairman and deputies following mass protests, after the leak of an audio recording allegedly involving orders to security forces to arrest demonstrators and block roads. The decision came hours before nationwide protests against the government of then-Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, amid accusations of systemic corruption.
