Governor of Iraq’s Najaf resigns after protests

NAJAF, Iraq: The governor of Iraq’s Najaf province resigned on Friday, a day after another governor also quit following demonstrations against living conditions and corruption.

Louai al-Yasseri resigned from his leadership in Najaf, in central Iraq, a day after the governor of Nasiriyah province in the south quit following the violent suppression of protesters. Their departures underline the challenges facing war-scarred Iraq and how little has changed despite protests that swept Baghdad and the South two years ago.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to express their anger at corruption, unemployment and crumbling public services, and hundreds lost their lives in protest-related violence.

Yasseri announced at a press conference that he was leaving his post in the holy Shiite city, according to the official Iraqi News Agency.

His resignation follows harsh criticism from prominent leader Moqtada Sadr, who emerged as kingmaker following legislative elections in October. Sadr paid a public visit to the municipality in Najaf on Wednesday after "reports of corruption and shortcomings in this institution", according to the news agency. "We will work on dismissing the governor of Najaf and replacing him legally," he said.