Iraqi student unions say they voted "to end occupation" only

[Terran1212]

Iraqi Student Unions Also Call for Withdrawal of Occupation Troops


By Abdel-Wahed Tohmeh / Occupation Watch

Baghdad -- 11 Student Unions approved the call made on al-Jaafari's Government to put a timetable for the withdrawal of multinational forces and considered that the request made for the extension of their presence is "an infringement on Parliament's prerogatives."

The 11 Unions issued yesterday a statement, of which Al-Hayat got a copy, supporting the members of the Independent National Bloc and other MPs and calling on "al-Jaafari's Government, the United Nations and its Security Council to adopt these demands." The statement also said: "We have taken part in the election and voted, risking our lives going to the polling stations, only for one essential issue that the electoral slates adopted and put in their political programs, and that is the demand for the withdrawal of occupation troops from Iraq."

The Unions called on the lists that won the election "to remain faithful to their promise and put their political programs into practise so that the people could respect them." Their statement also called on the Government "not to adopt crucial decisions without referring to the representatives of the people in the National Assembly." The statement also expressed bewilderment at "al-Jaafari's and his Government's support for maintaining occupation troops at a time when the US Congress is asking for their withdrawal."

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