Visit at a poor family in Zakho

During our door-to-door campaign visits we were not invited in by one of the families we had planned to visit. This man have always supported the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) and all his family have been lojal to them. But surprisingly he then called Halima A. Othman, posted on the Change List as no.48, and asked if the Change List would like to come for a visit. So we went to talk to him. He lives with his wife and seven children in a small concrete house with a roof made of mud and with very poor hygienic sanitation facilities. He has been unemployed for several years and struggles hard to support his family. He has no direct connections with the KDP but have tried over and over again to get their help in finding a job. He has applied many times to get a post at the Peshmerga (Kurdish police) in Zakho. He tries to make a living by selling parts for guns but he cannot earn enough to support his family. He is very disappointed in the KRG (the Kurdish Regional Government) and in the KDP for not helping the people in Zakho.

The unemployment rate in Zakho were 4% in 2001 and was the lowest in the Dohuk governate (9%). There are no official statistics for today but we know that the unemployment rate in Zakho has tripled since then. The unemployment rate for the Dohuk governate today is 20%. This is due to the KRG neglecting the whole Behdinan area. There are no strategic plans for reform or social development programs. There are no employment agencies to help our people to find work and many of the job opportunities are filled with imported labour force from Georgia, Pakistan, Sudan, Ethiopia etc.

There are many poor families like this here in the Dohuk governate. And people are disappointed in the KRG. The man we visited said that he hoped now that the Change List really can make a change for families like his and said that he would lay his vote for us in the elections.


Halima A. Othman,
posted on the Change List as no.48

Low-key Change List campaigning

The Change List have no other option than to act low-key and continue to spread its message in a very quiet way. To receive a permit for a public meeting is out of the question, our posters are being torn down, and people are afraid to approach our campaign office. Halima A. Othman, Senior Architect Engineer, Duhok, listed on the Change List and Idris Sheranshi, campaign manager and coordinator for the Change List in Zakho, are trying to keep the election campaign going on despite the obstructions of the Kurdistani List.

Yesterday we spent the whole day paying villages and other areas around Zakho a visit and talked to people door-to-door.
People were mainly positive to our arguments but were reluctant to say anything about their voting preferences openly. The fear for consequences is widely spread among the people. All we could do is to tell people to follow their hearts and their conscience on election day.

As we see it here in the Behdinan areas is that although we have our difficulties in campaigning freely we are full of hope. The Kurdistani List are actually doing most of the campaigning for the Change List. They are showing the people that we are right in what we say about them.


Idris Sheranshi and Halima A. Othman


Idris Sheranshi