BAGHDAD, Nov 7 (AFP) - Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi on Sunday declared a 60-day state of emergency in Iraq, except for the northern region of Kurdistan.
Under a state of emergency, the authorities have sweeping powers allowing them to impose curfews, ban meetings and bug communications, in moves which echo the authoritarian rule of toppled president Saddam Hussein's regime.
It cannot be declared for more than 60 days but the government is able to renew the period every 30 days with a letter of approval from the prime minister, the president and vice presidents.
The main points of the law allow the government to:
-- Conduct wider searches of people's homes and workplaces, demand arrest warrants and restrict the movement of Iraqis and foreigners on the mere suspicion of being involved in a crime.
-- Impose a limited curfew in a certain area where there is a security threat, explosions or unrest, and cordon off the area to conduct searches.
-- Freeze assets of those accused of conspiracy or insurgency or anyone linked to them
-- Eavesdrop on telecommunications, ban political meetings
-- Restrict travel by land, sea or air
-- Close public places, clubs, companies or limit their hours of operation and place them under guard
-- Stop people from possessing or trading weapons and other dangerous materials
-- Start limited and appropriate, speedy military and security decisions and measures in areas where the state of emergency has been declared, seeking the assistance of the US-led multinational forces for large-scale operations.
11/07/2004 15:17 GMT - AFP