Kirkuk Teachers Express Support to the PUK

PUKMEDIA

Aso Mamand, Supervisor of the PUK Organisations in Kirkuk and Saladin, and Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha at the event.

Aso Mamand, Supervisor of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Organisations in Kirkuk and Saladin, affirmed that teachers are a source of pride and the backbone of society, while the teachers of Kirkuk expressed their support to the PUK.

His remarks came during a solemn ceremony held at the Cultural Centre in Kirkuk to honour teachers and educational supervisors working in Kurdish-language schools. The event was attended by Rebwar Taha, Governor of Kirkuk and leader of the PUK’s List 222 in Kirkuk, Member of Parliament Sabah Habib, and several senior PUK officials.

During the ceremony, Mamand announced that a significant number of volunteer teachers will soon be employed as part of the 7,000 new positions previously approved.

Mamand explained that a large portion of these appointments will include volunteer teachers, highlighting that they will try with the Governor of Kirkuk to employ the others through Kirkuk’s petrodollar budget until their positions are formalised.

He emphasised that it is the responsibility of the Kirkuk local administration to prioritise the employment of volunteer teachers, reaffirming the PUK’s commitment to creating job opportunities for all citizens.

“It is the duty of the Kirkuk local government to work towards employing these volunteer teachers,” Mamand said. “As the PUK, we promise every section of Kirkuk that we will continue opening the door to employment and doing everything in our power to serve them.”

Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha also addressed the gathering, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to inclusivity and equal service for all communities in the city.

“As we promised before, based on the recommendations of PUK President Bafel Jalal Talabani, we have established a new administration in Kirkuk that serves all sections of the city without discrimination,” the governor said.

Taha added that, through the efforts of PUK representatives in Baghdad, the concerns of volunteer teachers have been formally raised with the Ministry of Education and the Iraqi Council of Ministers, and that the local administration is awaiting a final resolution of their cases.

Kurdish-speaking teachers in attendance expressed their gratitude and support to the leadership of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Governor of Kirkuk for their continued support and commitment to improving the situation of educators in Kurdish-language schools across the governorate.

According to information available to PUKMEDIA, the Governor of Kirkuk has also approved the recruitment of a number of volunteer teachers under the petrodollar budget, alongside plans for the distribution of residential land to teachers as part of broader efforts to improve their living and working conditions.

The PUK is contesting the 2025 Iraqi parliamentary elections, scheduled for 11 November, across several governorates, presenting its candidates on an independent list numbered 222 in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah (including Halabja), Duhok, Kirkuk, and Diyala. In Nineveh Governorate, the PUK is running as part of the "Nineveh People’s Union Coalition" with number 281, while in Saladin it is fielding one candidate within the "National Masses Coalition" with number 240.

Overall, the PUK is entering the elections with 156 candidates: 36 in Sulaymaniyah, 30 in Erbil, 5 in Duhok, 24 in Kirkuk, 28 in Diyala, 31 in Nineveh within the Nineveh People’s Union Coalition, and one candidate each in Saladin and Baghdad.



PUKMEDIA