Stop Fundamentalism – The governing council of the province of Salahuddin in Iraq declared the province to be an independent state within the unified Iraq Thursday. The Federal laws embedded in the constitution of Iraq allow local governments to announce economical and administrative autonomy from the central government when majority of the members of the council vote in favor of the procedure and the vote passes a public referendum in the province.
Meanwhile hundreds of Salahuddin resident took to the streets of Tikrit today following the Friday prayers to express their support for the decision of the provincial council. Similar demonstrations took place in other cities such as Samarra and Salahuddin.
The governing council of Salahuddin has 26 seats and its capital Tikrit is about 175 kilometers west of Baghdad. Majority of the population in the province are Sunni Muslims.
Council members explained at a press conference that main reasons for the vote are, among other things, arbitrary arrests and discrimination committed against the population of the province.
Iraq authorities have arrested 30 people during this week in Tikrit.
“Over two third of the council members present at the meeting agreed,” said Secretary of the council, Niazy Oglu to reporters, “The provincial council will approach the Presidential Council of Ministers to complete the procedures.”
Oglu explained to reporters that there were several reasons for declaring an independent statehood for the province.
The constitution of Iraq provides for the formation of regional independent governments if two third of members of the provincial council vote in favor of the proposal. That is on the condition that the public approves the independence in a public referendum.
