June 23, 2010Iraq's oil minister temporarily assigned control of electricity
Baghdad - Iraq's minister of oil was assigned control of the Electricity Minister until a new national government can be formed, the Iraqi government announced on Wednesday.
'Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki assigned Ali al-Shahristani to lead the ministry of electricity in addition to his duties as minister of oil,' said Assem Jihad, a spokesperson for the Oil Ministry.
Former minister of electricity Karim Wahid resigned from the post on Monday, following regular protests against power cuts which have stretched over 18 hours a day in some places, coming as the country experiences summer temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius.
Iraq's power problems date back to the early 1990s, when the national electricity network was destroyed in the first Gulf War. Since the US-led invasion in 2003, all attempts at fixing the power supply crisis have failed. Power produced does not meet demand.
Iraq's parliament, elected on March 7, has not yet been able to form a new government for the country.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1565633.php/Iraq-s-oil-minister-temporarily-assigned-control-of-electricity
