( CNN ) -- A move is afoot to make the oil-rich province of Basra a more potent political and economic power in Iraq . Along with provincial elections in Iraq , residents in Basra may also be voting to become an autonomous region . Lawmakers have started a drive that would give the Shiite-dominated province the status of a federal region -- the same legal power as the multi-province autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq . The move would usher in self-government and could boost oil income in Basra , although the organizers of the drive have indicated they would be more cooperative with the central Iraqi government than Kurdistan is on oil matters . Iraqi affairs scholar Reidar Visser suggests the autonomy initiative -- which he notes is the first of its kind outside the Kurdish areas -- `` shows that the inhabitants in Basra may care more for their local patriotism than for their religious identity as Shiites . '' `` Basra holds perhaps 60 percent of Iraq 's oil reserves , whereas most of the other Shiite areas of Iraq have only insignificant amounts of oil , '' said Visser , a research fellow at the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs . Wail Abd al-Latif -- a Basra member of parliament and a former Basra provincial governor -- is leading the drive and has hinted that he wants the region to receive its own share of the oil income generated there , Visser said . The effort is also backed by a powerful local movement called the Fadhila Party . Iraq is a collection of ethnicities and religions , and there has been a tug of war between a central government attempting to tie the country together and various groups pursuing their own interests . The Kurds have had their three-province autonomous region in the north for years , and the central government and the Kurds have had their disagreements : The Kurds have used their autonomy to pursue oil contracts that are n't recognized by Iraq 's central government . But al-Latif said his Basra initiative is not seeking `` to interfere with the central government when it comes to the administration of the oil sector and the signing of contracts . '' `` The federalists in Basra appear to be more prepared to work with Baghdad than the Kurds have been so far , '' Visser said . A monthlong petition drive started Monday for a Basra region referendum -- which would be held if at least 10 percent of the more than 1.4 million registered voters in the province sign up , said the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq , or UNAMI , which is helping Iraq with its electoral process . Residents have until January 14 to go to 34 locations in the province to submit their signatures . A referendum could be held two to three months after Iraqi election officials certify that the required number of signatures was gathered , a UNAMI source told CNN . The voting age in Iraq is 18 , but anybody born in 1991 will be allowed to register and submit signatures after January 1 . Under the country 's constitution , any of Iraq 's 18 provinces may form federal regions , either alone or as a group . Regions have the right to create their own constitutions , have separate executive , legislative , and judicial branches of government , and have security forces under their control . `` In the case of a contradiction between regional and national legislation in respect to a matter outside the exclusive authorities of the federal government , the regional power shall have the right to amend the application of the national legislation within that region , '' the constitution says . `` What rights the regions will have with regard to the oil sector remains controversial , '' said Visser , also the editor of historiae.org -- where he posts scholarly papers about Iraq , including one on Monday about the Basra region . Another idea for an autonomous region has emerged from the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq , one of the parties in the ruling United Iraq Alliance . It is looking at a nine-province federal region in the south . Basra is the only Iraqi province that borders a body of water -- the Shatt al Arab waterway near the Persian Gulf . The province also borders Kuwait and Iran . Cities in the province include Basra city , Umm Qasr and Zubayr .
Petition drive under way for a Basra region referendum . Referendum to be held if 10 percent of 1.4 million registered voters sign up . Regions have right to form constitutions , government branches , security forces . Basra province produces a lot of oil and is next to body of water .