Iraq’s lack of electricity

During the past weeks riots have been breaking out all over Iraq over electricity cuts.

Angry demonstrators clashed with security forces and demanded the resignation of the electricity minister.

Despite claims by Iraq’s ministry of electricity, figures published by US and UN bodies indicate that the current level of electricity production is hovering around the same pre-war level.

Electricity is available for several hours a day and public anger has grown as temperatures have soared to 50 degrees. 

Iraqis want to know why successive governments have failed to solve the country’s electricity issue when Saddam Hussein succeeded resolving the problem in record time in 1991?

Joining the programme are Ali Baban, the Iraqi planning minister, and Sami Ramadani, a professor of applied social sciences at London Metropolitan University.

This episode of Inside Iraq aired from Friday, July 2, 2010.