Halabja governor halts hiring process after protests over perceived lack of transparency

HALABJA – Gov. Nukhsha Nasih suspended the hiring of 52 people to posts in the Halabja governorate offices after four days of protests by graduates demanding fair and transparent recruitment.

Bilal Abbas, a protest representative, said after meeting Nasih that “the governor decided to stop the process after listening to our demands.” Abbas said the 52 appointments had been made “through a special decision, without competition, grading, or notification. No one knows who they are or what qualifications they have.” He warned that if demands are not met, “our protests will move to the Council of Ministers.”

One protester, Faiza Fayaq, who graduated with a media degree 13 years ago, said, “Many others after us have completed their studies and were appointed, but we remain at home. We demand that these appointments be canceled and qualified people be chosen instead.”

Participants included long-term volunteers. Bakr Rahim, who has volunteered for 10 years, and his wife, Avin Mukhtar, who has volunteered for seven, brought their children to the protest. “We got married, and now our children are asking why we are still not appointed,” Avin said. The couple said the recent appointments were made “without competition, grading, or notification” and called for a points-based system to ensure fairness.

Gov. Nasih was unavailable for comment when contacted by 964media.