The Iraqi government offers US$850 to US$4,300 to homeless people who have been squatting in government buildings or on government lands since 2003 "liberation" when the United States led a coalition to topple Saddam Hussein's regime.
The government decision came into effect on January 1st and the squatters have 60 days to leave or face legal action, the UN IRINnews reports.
One squatter called, Hussein Awad Nasser, 38, refused to be evicted unless he gets a fair treatment just like majority of other Iraqi officials who as well live as squatters.
“Senior officials live in houses of former officials, and claim to be leasing them from the government, so why are we the only ones who should leave?” asked Nasser who lives in Baghdad's central Salihiyah residential complex where Saddam Hussein's elite Residential Guards used to live.
“I will pay as long as these officials pay and I will leave when these officials leave,” Nasser said.
I agree with Nasser, we are in a country enjoys democracy and the law above all as the government says everyday.
And that the law should not only be above Nasser while below Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani ,who lives in a palace belonged to Saddam's brother on the Tigris or Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, who lives in house belonged to Saddam's brother-in-law inside the Green Zone or the most influential Shiite cleric, Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, who lives next to Talabani in a palace belonged to Tariq Aziz.
There are tens other squatter officials not only these three men.
kassakhoon@gmail.com
The government decision came into effect on January 1st and the squatters have 60 days to leave or face legal action, the UN IRINnews reports.
One squatter called, Hussein Awad Nasser, 38, refused to be evicted unless he gets a fair treatment just like majority of other Iraqi officials who as well live as squatters.
“Senior officials live in houses of former officials, and claim to be leasing them from the government, so why are we the only ones who should leave?” asked Nasser who lives in Baghdad's central Salihiyah residential complex where Saddam Hussein's elite Residential Guards used to live.
“I will pay as long as these officials pay and I will leave when these officials leave,” Nasser said.
I agree with Nasser, we are in a country enjoys democracy and the law above all as the government says everyday.
And that the law should not only be above Nasser while below Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani ,who lives in a palace belonged to Saddam's brother on the Tigris or Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, who lives in house belonged to Saddam's brother-in-law inside the Green Zone or the most influential Shiite cleric, Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, who lives next to Talabani in a palace belonged to Tariq Aziz.
There are tens other squatter officials not only these three men.
kassakhoon@gmail.com
