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Salary crisis deepens in Kurdistan
KRG finance crisis deepens
With the public employee salary crisis continuing in the Kurdistan Region, many public employees are in a financial crisis and cannot meet their daily expenses. Today, a uniformed policeman from the Sulaimani police department has started selling plastic bags on street corners to make some money to cover family expenses while he is on leave. The policeman said that he hasn’t received his salary for two months. On the other hand, employees of Sulaimani Financial Monitoring went on strike due to salary delays. The employees announced that they have proof that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) can afford to pay public employees’ pensions from internal income. The Kurdistan Financial Monitoring Institution is an agency that follows up and investigates state expenses and incomes.
People of Halabja remember, call for development and justice
Halabja, 1988
On 16th March each year, Kurds in every part of the world commemorate the Halabja massacre, and the use of chemical weapons by the Iraqi regime in 1988. This year, the people of Halabja united for the cause of their city’s recognition as the 5th province of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In almost all the towns, government institutions, schools and even public areas people participated in a moment of silence; all movement stopped for five minutes as a mark of respect for the victims of the massacre. The main demands of the crowds were for the KRG and Iraqi Government to develop the city and for the international community to recognize the massacre as an act of genocide. (KT)
KDP: USA promised to support confederation
Kamal Karkuki
A KDP official has said that the United States Government supports a confederation system in Iraq as the best solution to the current crisis. Kamal Karkuki, head of KDP General Relations, said that United States officials are working with both Baghdad and Erbil to reach an agreement to end the crisis. Karkuki said that the KRG’s solution is to move from a federal to a confederal system. The KDP official also stated that United States Department of State is working with the US Congress to remove the KDP and PUK from an FBI blacklist. However, none of Karkuki’s statements have been confirmed by US officials yet. (xendan, KT)
