SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region – Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had planned to visit the family of a prominent Peshmerga from Sulaimani killed fighting ISIS, but the family refused to “be used for election campaigning.”
“The head of Abadi’s office asked to search our house and prepare my children to take photos with the head of Nasr (Victory) Alliance prior to his visit. I rejected such a visit and I will not use my children for election [campaigning],” Chnar Hassan, the widow of Peshmerga Hussein Mansour, told Rudaw.
Abadi visited Sulaimani province on Wednesday to kick off his election campaign.
Hassan told Abadi’s office they should not “forget that my spouse was martyred for the freedom of Kirkuk. You know how Kirkuk situation is now. How can I welcome the enemy of my nation?” she said.
Abadi also planned to visit the home of another prominent Peshmerga commander, Sherko Fatih Shwani. The family received him.
“Our martyrs have provided a lot, and without their sacrifice Iraq would not stay and prevail,” Abadi said during his visit to the family, his office reported on Facebook.
Abadi said the families of soldiers killed fighting ISIS are the real owners of “this victory.”
Brigadier Shwani was the commander of the 1st Peshmerga Brigade. He was killed when ISIS fighters attacked Kurdish positions with car bombs and suicide vests, triggering fierce clashes on January 30, 2015. The next day, Maj.-Gen. Mansour, the commander of the 2nd combat support units in the Kirkuk region, was also killed by ISIS.
Abadi later introduced his candidates in the province. In his speech, he praised Kurdish forces, and said the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces ate together and fought together in the fight against ISIS.
“We have come to listen to you and your issues,” he told the crowd, adding: “We will listen to any complaint from you.”
Abadi said running alliance candidates in Sulaimani and the Kurdistan Region “proves that we do not consider one citizen better than the other.”
Abadi also told the crowd that the time of tyranny is over, adding that “all Iraqis are number one.”
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