According to NRT the protesters blocked Sulaimani-Kirkuk main road with burning tires, voicing intense anger with the government.

They demanded the Kurdish government improve services including electricity and water that frequently fall short of their daily needs.

The Mayor of Chamchamal, Ramak Ramazan visited the demonstration, saying he would resign unless the people’s demands are met by the city.

He told NRT that officials from Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) pledged to improve the situation.

“KRG Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani and Sulaimani Governor Haval Abubakr promised to provide more electricity for over two hours a day,” he said.

He said he will bring together a group of the demonstration representatives to visit the Ministry of Electricity to oversee the decision to provide more electricity.

Frequent power outages have been a source of concern for residents across the Kurdistan Region for decades.

Conditions improved greatly with the regime change in 2003. The rise of IS, the drop in oil prices, budget cuts from Baghdad and the resulting financial crisis in 2014, have worsened conditions significantly.

While the influx of Syrian refugees and displaced Iraqi families sheltered in the Kurdistan Region have added millions of dollars to the local economy in humanitarian jobs, home rentals and goods consumption, they have also added an extra burden on local services.

In February 2016, senior KRG officials announced they would cut government employee salaries by 15 to 75 percent, depending on position and salary bracket, as part of austerity measures to deal with the ongoing economic crisis.

Reporter’s code: 50101