The Executive Council of the Kurdistan Islamic Union issued a statement on the 36th anniversary of the tragedy in the city of Halabja.
The council said in its statement, "On the sixteenth of March every year, we remember the tragedy that befell the city of Halabja when it was bombed with chemical weapons, which is an unforgettable crime by the Baath regime."
Added, "The authorities of the Kurdistan region, after more than three decades of their rule, could not reduce the suffering of the residents of Halabja. Rather, they added more suffering and wounds to the entire body of the people with their wrong policies."
Pointed out, "Today, as citizens remember this painful tragedy, the regional government continues to delay paying salaries under false pretexts, which caused the cessation of markets and the trade movement. It also failed to manage the disputes with the federal government."
Stressed that "the Kurdistan Islamic Union demands an end to this new injustice, not to tamper with the rights and livelihood of citizens, and to complete the salary disbursement list, and not to use the failure to send the salaries of military institutions as an excuse for not disbursing the salaries of civilian employees, and to stop the injustice against citizens during the month of Ramadan."
The Executive Council concluded its statement by saying, “We also call on citizens not to fall under the influence of the infernal plan that aims to create despair in them and discourage them from participating in the elections,” explaining, “Rather, they must thwart this plan and participate effectively in the upcoming elections and be of assistance to the radical reform project in the Kurdistan region".