Basra autonomous region sought in Iraq

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Basra autonomous region sought in Iraq
« Thread Started on Dec 16, 2008, 1:42am »

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Basra autonomous region sought in Iraq
Posted: 12:10 PM ET
By Joe Sterling
CNN
(CNN) — A push is under way to make Iraq’s oil-rich southern province of Basra a federal region, a move that would give it the same legal powers as the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan and possibly boost Basra’s oil income.

A month-long petition drive started Monday for a Basra region referendum — which would be held if at least 10 percent of the more than 1.4 million registered voters in the province sign up, said the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq, or UNAMI — which is helping Iraq with its electoral process.

Residents have until January 14 to go to 34 locations in the province to submit their signatures. A referendum would be held possibly two to three months after Iraqi election officials certify that the required number of signatures was gathered, a UNAMI source told CNN.

Under the country’s constitution, one or more of Iraq’s 18 provinces may form federal regions. At present, the three-province Kurdish region is the only such region in the country. Regions have the right to create their own constitutions, have separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, and have security forces under their control.