Secular Shia politicians called yesterday for autonomy in oil-rich southern Iraq, a move that could deepen tensions over federalism amid raging violence.
Mr Baqer al-Tamimi, a leading player in the southern autonomy drive, said demands include the creation of a regional parliament and government, sensitive issues for a central government already struggling with sectarian divisions and a relentless insurgency.
"We want the creation of a regional parliament, elected in a sovereign, democratic way, and the creation of a local cabinet," he said.
The calls for autonomy came during a conference in Iraq's second city Basra attended by over 1,000 supporters of the idea.
New autonomy demands could be an added burden for the religious Shia-led government, which is opposed to autonomy and has vowed to unite Iraq.
It might also complicate efforts to write an Iraqi constitution in a country where politicians have promised that democracy will meet the needs of all sects and groups and hold Iraq together.
Autonomy is a volatile issue in Iraq, where Kurds in the north have won greater powers such as a parliament and their own military force.
Those gains have angered others such as minority Sunnis, who thrived in Saddam Hussein's highly centralized Iraq but have been sidelined since January elections turned the Shi'ites and Kurds into the new powers.
Southern autonomy demands could be more problematic than those pressed by the Kurds because the south is home to Iraq's biggest oil reserves.
Faced with a raging insurgency, the Shia-led government is hoping to contain tensions over autonomy and ease growing sectarian divisions which have raised fears of civil war and overshadowed efforts to rebuild Iraq.
Tamimi made it clear that demands would also date back to the bitter past, when Shi'ites say Saddam persecuted them and neglected the south's infrastructure.
He said the region would demand compensation for "damage caused by wars under the former "dictatorial leader," an apparent reference to Iraq's costly war with Iran in the 1980s.