Baghdad: At markets and cafes, in taxis and houses, and at political parties headquarters, there is one phrase that keeps going round: "Saddam was much better than Al Maliki".

Umm Ali, a housewife in Baghdad, told Gulf News: "Electricity in Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki's times comes one hour every three days. In the era of Saddam Hussain power was off for two hours during the day and two hours at night and there was one rest day when electricity was not turned off at all. I hate and fear Saddam and his era yet I regret that his days are past now."

Each time prices of goods and services get higher, Iraqis say Saddam was better than Al Maliki.

Raad Abu Haidar told Gulf News: "I live in Al Sadr neighbourhood. My monthly salary does not exceed 300,000 Iraqi dinar (about Dh922) but things are more expensive. A gas cylinder was 1,500 dinar in Saddam era and now in Al Maliki's time it is 16,000 dinar. As for oil, ... now, during winter, it is 20,000 dinar".

Inflation woes

The gasoline prices touch 1,000 dinar for one litre now. Hesham Al Rawi told Gulf News: "I am a taxi driver. Is it reasonable that Iraq, a country sitting on an oil lake, is facing a gasoline crisis? One litre gasoline now equals one dollar, yet in Saddam's time it was 50 dinar per litre.

"The problem is that when I go to the gas station, I find gangs and mafias of staff, guards and policemen who smuggle petrol to street sellers who sell gasoline at higher prices. I wish Saddam ... governs Iraq again."

Although the salary of state departments' staff and ministries are double compared to Saddam era, they still face hard times.

Wissam Al Hashimi told Gulf News: "I am an employee at the Ministry of Industry. My salary is 400,000 dinar, which is a big salary compared to Saddam's times when I used to get 4,000 dinar. But with the inflation, I practically make less than what I used to earlier. This is a game played by Al Maliki and the Americans. At least in Saddam era there was security and safety but now in Al Maliki time, there is neither safety nor salaries to match the frightening inflation."

The elites, however, find Al Maliki government gives them more benefits compared to Saddam era.

Aqeel Al Waeli, an Iraqi academic, was sarcastic. He told Gulf News: "In Saddam era, anyone who expressed his view was put in jail and he might have been released.

"Today ... intellectuals are kidnapped, beheaded and the body dumped in the river."

In southern Shiite regions, comparisons between Saddam and Al Maliki are ironic because of the bitter realities citizens went through.

Mahdi Shandal said: "I am from Maysan southern province. Here everyone has turned to prefer Saddam because in his times there was only one tyrant, Saddam. But now there are thousands of Saddams in the security forces, provincial council and oil departments."

As one Shiite in the south joked: "Saddam appeared to Al Maliki in his dreams and thanked him because Iraq's situation now made Iraqis look back proudly to Saddam's days."

Southern Iraqis say in Al Maliki era, there are thousands of Saddams in the security forces and provincial council.