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BAGHDAD, Iraq - Tens of thousands of fresh graduates from medical colleges from across Iraq demonstrated in front of the Green Zone to demand employment from the government.
Despite suffering from a chronic illness, Maha's mother came from Diyala province with her daughter to Baghdad to take part in the protest alongside over 60,000 graduates.
"I left my home and my children, and I suffer from diseases and pain in my eyes, yet I came here. Should we sit at home and be silent about our rights?" Umm Maha, the mother of a fresh graduate lamented.
For her part, Maha Hussein said the government has acted contrary to the law.
"We, graduates of the 2022 class, came to Baghdad. When we submitted the application form for employment in accordance with Law No. 6 of 2000, we were surprised that 25,000 graduates were not included, contrary to the law that entitles all specialties of medicine, pharmacy, and medical institutes to employment...," Hussein, a graduate protester said.
Various Iraqi health unions joined the protesters, throwing their full support behind them.
"We have a legal right and we do not have a demand, and if the government does not abide by the law, then why does it exist?" Abu Bakr Al-Rawi, head of the Iraqi Dentists Syndicate, told Rudaw on Tuesday.
"And it is our legal duty that we are here to defend the rights of the graduates of the medical, health, and nursing departments, and we demand the implementation of the law," he added.
More than 3,000 graduates from the universities of the Kurdistan Region also participated in the demonstration.
The Iraqi Council of Ministers in mid-March approved the federal budget bill for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025, which is currently before the Iraqi parliament.
Workers from several government sectors have held numerous protests in recent months demanding permanent employment contracts from the Iraqi government, as the Iraqi parliament currently studies the drafted budget for the aforementioned years.
Despite suffering from a chronic illness, Maha's mother came from Diyala province with her daughter to Baghdad to take part in the protest alongside over 60,000 graduates.
"I left my home and my children, and I suffer from diseases and pain in my eyes, yet I came here. Should we sit at home and be silent about our rights?" Umm Maha, the mother of a fresh graduate lamented.
For her part, Maha Hussein said the government has acted contrary to the law.
"We, graduates of the 2022 class, came to Baghdad. When we submitted the application form for employment in accordance with Law No. 6 of 2000, we were surprised that 25,000 graduates were not included, contrary to the law that entitles all specialties of medicine, pharmacy, and medical institutes to employment...," Hussein, a graduate protester said.
Various Iraqi health unions joined the protesters, throwing their full support behind them.
"We have a legal right and we do not have a demand, and if the government does not abide by the law, then why does it exist?" Abu Bakr Al-Rawi, head of the Iraqi Dentists Syndicate, told Rudaw on Tuesday.
"And it is our legal duty that we are here to defend the rights of the graduates of the medical, health, and nursing departments, and we demand the implementation of the law," he added.
More than 3,000 graduates from the universities of the Kurdistan Region also participated in the demonstration.
The Iraqi Council of Ministers in mid-March approved the federal budget bill for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025, which is currently before the Iraqi parliament.
Workers from several government sectors have held numerous protests in recent months demanding permanent employment contracts from the Iraqi government, as the Iraqi parliament currently studies the drafted budget for the aforementioned years.
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