Frustrated university graduates in Iraqi Kurdistan burn certificates
Knnc.net 11-4-2014 – HALABJA: University graduates in Halabja Province, the 19th province in Iraq and 4th province of the Kurdistan region, have burnt their certificates, accusing the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of favoritism and partiality.
Last week they warned the officials of their dissatisfaction with the employment procedures and asked them to be employed. The campaigners of the Unemployed Graduate Campaign protested in the Public Garden of the city against their unemployment where 50 university graduates burnt their certificates. They said that the officials neglected their demands of employment and that was the reason they burnt they certificates. The unemployed graduates said they will also burn their voter’s cards and boycott the coming Iraq Parliamentary and Kurdistan Region Provincial Elections, to be held on April 30th, if they are not employed, “we are even planning to burn our Identity Cards and passports”.
Dana Malaki, a campaigner, told KNNC that most of the graduates are from History, Geography, Kurdish Language Departments from the College of Basic Education and for several years the officials have failed to fulfill the promises made. Malaki added that their economic stance worsens day by day and because they are underprivileged the officials do not listen to them. “What has frustrated the graduates is that many other graduates have been employed just because they were an officials relative or knew someone in power who made their employment possible” Malaki charged. In a statement, campaigners warned the officials that this is not the last activity promising of holding longer and more organized campaigns and protests if their requirements are neglected.