ZAKHO, Kurdistan Region — A Change Movement MP was escorted beyond the Zakho checkpoint after he was beaten in the city’s streets on Monday, while walking with a small group of people showing support for demonstrations against the KRG’s “salary saving system” for civil servants like teachers.
Ali Hama Saleh, 34, is known for his economic analysis and has criticized KRG’s oil policy and income. He is known as “Gorran’s calculator.”
Saleh live streamed a video on his Facebook account with the caption: “Ali Hama Saleh among Zakho people. Protests make changes.”
While greeting shopkeepers, a man assaults him from behind and takes him to the ground. From this point his live stream interrupts and the images become unclear.
Ali Hama Saleh greeting shopkeepers in Zakho before he was beaten by an unknown assailant from behind. Video: Saleh FB
Only words like “one minute … stop” are understandable.
“Today I was with some reformists of the region, suddenly someone attacked me. Then the number of attackers increased,” he told Rudaw on Monday.
MP Soran Omar from the Islamic Group (Komal) posted Saleh’s video and claimed that Saleh “was attacked by KDP. I just talked with him. He is detained and being asked to leave Zakho.”
But after few minutes Omar updated his post and added that “Mr. Ali left Zakho.”
Saleh disputed that he was detained.
“I was rescued by security forces and they escorted me to the Zakho checkpoint,” he explained.
Both MPs, who hail from parties which have currently withdrawn from the PUK-KDP dominated government, are known for their close friendship and shared opinion regarding current KRG policies.
A source inside Zakho Asayesh (Security) told Rudaw that Saleh has not been detained by Asayesh or the police.
Zakho is a KDP powerbase, where Gorran has little influence.
The teachers and health workers are on a work strike, fed up with their monthly salaries being slashed by a third in some cases.
"As teachers and civil servants from Erbil, we are calling on you to revise the salaries of the employees without the saving system," said a spokesperson for the demonstrators on Sunday.
The KRG Council of Ministers agreed to allow the health ministry to prepare a proposal by Tuesday that would reformulate the saving percentage.
The KRG cites multiple financial crises — notably the loss of oil-rich Kirkuk — although the Council of Ministers said it will adjust the salary saving system if Baghdad continues to send 317 billion Iraqi dinars.
Protests continued in Halabja, Sulaimani, Erbil, and Zakho on Monday.
