Two political parties have withdrawn from Iraq's Kurdish regional government amid street protests over delayed salaries, poor services and rampant corruption, a Kurdish lawmaker said Thursday. Security forces have used tear gas and fired live rounds to disperse stone-throwing demonstrators, and have imposed curfews in some areas. Abdul-Wahid said three ministers from the Change Party and two from the Islamic Group Party have left the 21-minister Cabinet. The Change Party-affiliated regional parliament speaker and the head of the Board of Investment will also resign, she added. Abdul-Wahid accused the security forces affiliated with the PUK, one of the two largest Kurdish parties, of attacking the protesters and arresting "hundreds" of them.

Source: ABC News December 21, 2017 08:15 UTC