Thousands rally for work and basics

Inspired by the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, citizens rallied in Baghdad, Basra, Ramadi, Mosul and Diwaniya carrying yellow cards symbolising the warning card carried by football referees.

Some shouldered a coffin with the word "services" written across it, while others called for the resignation of all councillors in their area.

Iraq's infrastructure remains severely dilapidated almost eight years after the illegal US-led invasion.

The country, which was one of the most developed in the Middle East in the 1970s and '80s, now suffers a chronic water shortage.

Electricity supply is intermittent and sewage collects in the streets.

In Baghdad thousands thronged the working-class district of Bab al-Sham to protest against the medieval conditions that they are now expected to endure.

Resident Ali Hassan said: "Our children have many diseases because of sewage problems and accumulated rubbish in the area."

"It is a tragedy - even during the Middle Ages people were not living in this situation," added engineer Furat al-Janabi.

In Basra thousands gathered in front of the provincial government HQ and jostled with riot police, demanding higher wages and the resignation of the governor over alleged corruption.

"I and my children are totally dependent on food rations - without them we will die. I find work for one day, and then nothing for 10 days after that," said Nuri Ghadhban, a day labourer in the construction industry and father of six.

"What do they want? For us to burn ourselves until they think about us?"

The peaceful protests were called after police opened fire last Thursday to disperse hundreds of residents protesting about shortages of power, water and other services near Diwaniya, killing at least one citizen and wounding four.

Speaking at a rally in Diwaniya on Sunday, local university professor Nidal al-Sarmad predicted that a revolution was "close at hand.

"The people feel they have been deceived, they are frustrated," Mr Sarmad declared.

"The change the Americans brought has brought us a new set of thieves, a new set of dictators, not justice and freedom."

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki pledged on Sunday evening to increase monthly food rations by 15,000 Iraqi dinars (£8.90) and vowed to "deal properly with the demands" of citizens.

foreigneditor@peoples-press.com