Source:
DPABaghdad - Hundreds of protesters gathered Wednesday in Iraq's eastern Diyala province to call for the dismissal of local officials, despite continued appeals by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for people not to protest.
'Everybody should respect election results, which were a result of the will of the people,' al-Maliki told reporters in a reference to the January 2009 polls that elected the officials being targeted by protesters.
Al-Maliki had previously accused al-Qaeda and loyalists of former president Saddam Hussein of masterminding the protests. On Wednesday he blamed a lack of speedy reforms on 'the security situation.'
His comments did not stop Iraqis in Diyala from defying a curfew to demand reforms and the sacking of officials accused of corruption.
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