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Residents and activists in central Bosnia clean up a lake after massive floods

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Residents and activists in central Bosnia clean up a lake after massive floods
News

News

Residents and activists in central Bosnia clean up a lake after massive floods

2024-10-20 19:58 Last Updated At:20:01

JABLANICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Residents and activists on Sunday pulled out heaps of debris and trash from a lake in a central Bosnian region that was devastated by deadly floods and landslides more than two weeks ago.

Using boats and motor vehicles, the volunteers scooped up plastics, wood and other objects that were swept away by raging waters during the rainstorm in early October and ended up in the Lake Jablanica.

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An aerial view of a boat carrying bags of trash after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

An aerial view of a boat carrying bags of trash after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic collecting plastic waste from his boat after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic collecting plastic waste from his boat after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of volunteers collecting plastic waste from the shore after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of volunteers collecting plastic waste from the shore after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of a boat carrying bags of trash after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of a boat carrying bags of trash after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view mud and waste floating on Jablanicko lake after devastating floods and landslides near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view mud and waste floating on Jablanicko lake after devastating floods and landslides near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic rowing his boat through mud and waste after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic rowing his boat through mud and waste after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Ibro Mesic collects plastic waste from his boat after devastating floods and landslides that put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Ibro Mesic collects plastic waste from his boat after devastating floods and landslides that put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic rowing his boat through mud and waste after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic rowing his boat through mud and waste after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic collecting plastic waste from his boat after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic collecting plastic waste from his boat after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Dervis Gabela collects plastic waste from the shore after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Dervis Gabela collects plastic waste from the shore after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Twenty-seven people died in floods and landslides on the night of Oct. 4, 19 of them in the village of Donja Jablanica, where rocks from a hillside quarry unleashed by floodwaters buried houses.

“I was born at this lake, it's normal that I’m here, helping,” said Ibro Besic from the nearby town of Jablanica. "It would be shameful to just leave all this trash to float. We all want to come and swim here in the summer.”

Bosnia has sought help from neighboring countries and the European Union. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to travel to the areas when she visits the Balkan country next week.

Authorities in Jablanica said that schools will reopen Monday but pupils can also follow classes online if they do not feel ready to come back to classrooms. The floods have destroyed roads, bridges and the railway.

People clearing the debris at the Lake Jablanica said they had pulled out animal carcases and home appliances, such as refrigerators and stoves in the past days. The lake is normally known for its clear green water that has become tainted by a huge island of waste.

Haris Cosic, who works in the tourism industry in Jablanica, said the effort will continue until everything has been cleared up. Sometimes, he said, they have to improvise.

”We are using quad bikes to pull out the heavy objects," he said. "It will take a lot of time but I hope, we hope, that the operation will be successful.”

An aerial view of a boat carrying bags of trash after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

An aerial view of a boat carrying bags of trash after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic collecting plastic waste from his boat after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic collecting plastic waste from his boat after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of volunteers collecting plastic waste from the shore after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of volunteers collecting plastic waste from the shore after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of a boat carrying bags of trash after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of a boat carrying bags of trash after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view mud and waste floating on Jablanicko lake after devastating floods and landslides near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view mud and waste floating on Jablanicko lake after devastating floods and landslides near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic rowing his boat through mud and waste after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic rowing his boat through mud and waste after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Ibro Mesic collects plastic waste from his boat after devastating floods and landslides that put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Ibro Mesic collects plastic waste from his boat after devastating floods and landslides that put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic rowing his boat through mud and waste after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic rowing his boat through mud and waste after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic collecting plastic waste from his boat after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Aerial view of Ibro Mesic collecting plastic waste from his boat after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Dervis Gabela collects plastic waste from the shore after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Dervis Gabela collects plastic waste from the shore after devastating floods and landslides put tons of waste in Jablanicko lake near Ostrozac, Bosnia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Residents of Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region went to the polls in long-awaited parliamentary elections Sunday under the shadow of ongoing rivalries, economic instability, and unresolved disputes with Baghdad.

The primary competitors are the two dominant Kurdish parties: the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. The two have historically controlled different parts of the region, with the KDP overseeing the regional capital, Irbil, and Dohuk and the PUK governing Sulaymaniyah.

This division has frequently led to political deadlock. The parliamentary elections, originally set for 2022, were postponed several times amid disputes over the election law and procedures.

Ministry of Interior personnel and peshmerga forces — the regional military — voted in special elections Friday, with the general public voting Sunday.

In Friday’s special election, the KDP secured a significant lead, capturing 60% of the votes, while the PUK got around 30%. The New Generation Movement, an opposition party that has seen a gradual rise in support, garnered 5.3% of the total, up from 3% in the 2018 special election. In that special election, the KDP garnered 40% of the vote and the PUK 28.5%.

While New Generation’s appeal continues to grow, particularly among younger voters frustrated with the traditional political system, it still faces significant challenges in competing with the well-established dominance of the KDP and PUK.

At some polling centers, there were delays due to malfunctions in fingerprint scanners used for biometric verification of voters’ identities. In some cases, it was unclear if voters whose fingerprints could not be scanned would be able to vote at all.

At a center in Irbil's Ankawa district, resident Raman Ramzi said his wife and mother hadn't been able to vote due to fingerprint and ID recognition issues caused by the biometric machines. A number of other would-be voters left the station without casting a vote due to the same issue.

Regional government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, a KDP official, called on voters to “reward service and truthfulness and punish the parties that are playing with the rights and destiny of the people of Kurdistan," using the region's local name.

The region’s economic struggles are voters’ primary concern. Despite its oil wealth, the Kurdish region faces significant economic issues, including delayed payment of salaries to civil servants, fluctuating oil prices, and budget cuts from Baghdad. The public is deeply dissatisfied with the economy and lack of opportunities, and many blame political leaders for mismanagement.

“People want to have electricity and get paid their salary on time, and to have more jobs. This is all they want," said Ghazi Najib, who went to the polls in Irbil.

Corruption is also among the central issues in the election. For years, the regional government has faced allegations of nepotism and lack of transparency. Many voters, particularly among the younger generation, are calling for reforms to address these concerns.

Many voters, however, have lost hope for reforms and are also skeptical of opposition parties’ ability to make changes, given the longstanding hold the two major parties have over the political landscape.

Political cooperation with the central government is another key electoral issue. Relations between Irbil and Baghdad have remained tense since a 2017 referendum over independence for the Kurdish region, particularly over issues of oil revenue sharing and budget allocations.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani in a recent visit to Irbil said, “We are committed to ensuring the rights of the Kurdish people, but this must be done within Iraq’s constitution.”

In certain areas, the current elections are significantly influenced by security concerns since Islamic State group sleeper cells are still active in areas that are disputed between the regional and central governments.

“We hope that Kurdistan will be more developed, and to see more safety and reconstruction in Kurdistan,” said Jamila Mohammed Amin, a voter in Irbil. “All political parties and entities should work together and achieve these goals and protect it against enemies.”

Associated Press journalist Salar Salim in Irbil contributed to this report.

A woman enters a voting boot during parliamentary elections of Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region, in Irbil, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Salar Salim)

A woman enters a voting boot during parliamentary elections of Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region, in Irbil, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Salar Salim)

People check candidates lists during parliamentary elections of Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region, in Irbil, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Salar Salim)

People check candidates lists during parliamentary elections of Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region, in Irbil, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Salar Salim)

People line up to vote during parliamentary elections of Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region, in Irbil, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Salar Salim)

People line up to vote during parliamentary elections of Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region, in Irbil, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Salar Salim)

A man registers to vote during parliamentary elections of Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region, in Irbil, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Salar Salim)

A man registers to vote during parliamentary elections of Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region, in Irbil, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Salar Salim)

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