Protestors closed the provincial council and governorate buildings on Wednesday morning in Thi Qar province after a 48-hours deadline for electricity improvements expired.

The protestors had demanded immediate improvements to the province's electricity situation. Despite a meeting between local officials and the Minister of Electricity, which resulted in an agreement to send a delegation to assess the province's needs, the protesters remain dissatisfied. 

The protestors insist on tangible and swift enhancements, rejecting promises and delays that have thus far failed to provide real solutions.

Video footage shows protesters closing the provincial council building in #ThiQar after a 48-hour deadline for electricity improvements expired#TheNewRegion pic.twitter.com/tqw9M0zVde

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"The Iraqi Minister of Electricity dispatched a high-level technical delegation to Thi Qar, accompanied by a service effort, to improve the quality of electricity in the province," Iraqi state media reported on Wednesday.

Abdulbaqi Al-Omari, head of the Thi Qar Provincial Council, and Nizar Qahtan, Deputy Minister of Electricity, chaired an emergency meeting today at the Thi Qar Police Headquarters. 

The meeting attended by several council members, First Deputy Governor of Thi Qar Razzaq Kasheesh, Technical Deputy Governor Hassan Daadoush, and Provincial Police Chief Major General Maki Al-Khikani, aimed to address the recurring power outages in the province.

In a statement, Omari highlighted the extreme difficulties faced by the province amid soaring temperatures, noting that Thi Qar is considered a disaster-stricken area.
 

He emphasized the urgent need to establish a new power plant in the province to meet its growing energy demands, especially with the increasing population.

Omari expressed his understanding of the protesters' grievances, who took to the streets today demanding improvements in the electricity situation. 

He acknowledged their demands as legitimate and stood in solidarity with their quest for "serious solutions to the crisis."

Deputy Minister of Electricity Qahtan echoed Omari's sentiments, agreeing with the proposed practical solutions. Qahtan announced the Ministry's "full support for the new energy projects proposed by the Provincial Council." 

He also noted that a meeting was held yesterday with the Minister of Electricity, during which the support for Thi Qar's projects was reaffirmed, and the Ministry committed to finding permanent solutions to the province's power crisis.

Ammar Al-Rikabi, head of the Energy Committee in the Thi Qar Provincial Council, announced an agreement with a delegation from the Ministry of Electricity to increase the province's power supply from 1,600 megawatts to 1,850 megawatts.

Rikabi stated that the agreement also includes granting extensive powers to the general managers of Thi Qar's electricity distribution, including the authority to contract with companies and contractors in partnership with the province to implement projects aimed at improving and expanding the electricity network.

This announcement comes amid escalating protests in Thi Qar, where demonstrators have completely closed the Provincial Council and Governorate Office buildings after the local government failed to improve the electricity situation within the 48-hour deadline given by the protesters.