Hoping candidates implement their pledges, Al-Anbar's unemployed youth accept temporary jobs
Shafaq News / Several weeks of intense election campaigns in Al-Anbar have created hundreds of jobs for unemployed youth, however, temporarily as it ends with the announcement of the ballot's results.
Those with the new jobs have found an opportunity to work in these campaigns, in hope that the candidates will keep their pledges.
"Al-Anbar's main cities, al-Fallujah, Ramadi, Hit, Haditha, Al-Qa’im, etc., have witnessed numerous conferences, seminars, workshops, and election campaigns for dozens of candidates, which has contributed to job creation," observers told Shafaq News agency.
"Restaurants, printing presses, taxi drivers, event halls, blacksmithing workshops, carpentry, poster paste workers, distribution of pictures and banners, and other sectors, have created opportunities for many young people," they added.
"The past months have seen a major economic deterioration in the market due to the dollar’s high exchange rate, in addition to the lack of compensations distributed to the displaced. This recession forced many shopkeepers to close their shops to avoid paying rent and wages of workers," said Ayman Farhan, owner of a printing press in al-Fallujah, east of Al-Anbar.
"About a month ago, the market began to be remarkably active as the elections approached. Our printing presses began to work around the clock to print candidates' posters and identification cards for their electoral programs. Carpentry, blacksmithing, and many other professions witnessed a similar revival," Farhan continued.
"Three months ago, I started working to promote electoral propaganda and organize conferences and seminars for a candidate, after I was unable to find a job in the past period, even though I have a bachelor's degree," said Ahmed Falah.
He added, "We are 13 people, the majority of whom are unemployed, who are promoting propaganda to a candidate, and although we are happy with this work, we are well aware that it will end immediately after the elections.”
Falah hopes that "the candidate we are working with now will keep his promise to us, which is to give us work in his office if he wins, and not to forget us after winning, as others did in the previous session."
"The election campaigns of Al-Anbar candidates have reactivated the economic wheel in the governorate by increasing the demand for carpentry, blacksmithing, and other workshops, in addition to employing at least five people to run each candidate’s electoral program," said Suleiman al-Jumaily, an economist.
"We note that large amounts of money have been spent on the electoral programs launched by the candidates in Al-Anbar, which has stimulated the economy in the governorate, and through these campaigns, it has become clear that the economic situation needs permanent plans to employ the unemployed," al-Jumaily added.
He also pointed, "Local governments across the country must work to deal with workshop owners permanently, rather than using ready-made and imported materials.”
"We hope that the candidates who will win the elections will keep their promises, including employing the unemployed and opening different projects for them, because they urgently need them," he continued.
"There are candidates who have made big promises, bigger than them and even bigger than the state itself, but we hope they will implement some of them," he said.
