Baghdad, March 06: University students in the autonomous region of Iraq controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have launched a running poll to voice their opposition to KRG President Massoud Barzani.
The students at the University of Sulaymaniyah started the “President, I don’t need you” campaign.
The running poll campaign was quickly adopted by other anti-government media, such as Lvin Press Magazine, and soon thousands of protesters were visiting and voting online.
Lvin head writer Ahmad Mira’s “Yes to Barzani’s resignation” campaign gathered 3,966 votes on the first day, with the number of “Yes” votes reaching 126,389 on Saturday.
The move comes in response to Barzani’s recent announcement, in which he said he was ready to step down. The students have described the declaration as a political ploy meant to get him publicity in Western media outlets.
Sulaymaniyah students have also called for the resignation of the president of the university and the KRG minister of higher education for their efforts to stop demonstrations on the campus and prevent media coverage of student protests.
Classes were canceled at the University of Sulaymaniyah after the region’s Kurdish establishment closed classes at the University of Salahuddin.
Security and intelligence agents, under orders from the Barzani government, resorted to force against protesters camping in university courtyards and forced protesters to leave.
Twenty-three people have reportedly been killed in clashes between forces of the ruling Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) and protesters in the autonomous KRG region. Over 130 people have been injured and 34 others are missing.
As many as 89 anti-government activists and critics have been arrested by KDP forces, while many more have complained about threatening phone calls.
——–Agencies