On Anniversary of Saddam’s Fall, PUK VP Urges Protection of Iraq’s Democratic Future

Kurdistan 10:32 AM - 2026-04-09

Rifaat Abdullah, VP of PUK.

On the 23rd anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, Rifaat Abdullah, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Vice President, has marked the occasion by highlighting Iraq’s progress since 2003, while urging all political actors to safeguard stability, unity, and the country’s democratic federal future.

The statement reads as follows:

On 9 April 2026, marking the anniversary of the fall of one of history’s dictators, coalition forces—supported directly by the Kurdistan Peshmerga—helped the Iraqi people to break free from dictatorship, coercive rule, and the fascist violence of the Ba’athist regime.

Twenty-three years on, the Iraqi people, including both Kurds and Arabs, have achieved significant progress. The threat of repression, genocide, chemical weapons, and systematic oppression no longer exists. There is now a real opportunity and strong potential to build a better Iraq for all its citizens. There is also a clear will to establish a democratic federal state, under a Constitution endorsed by the people, which guarantees protection and rights for everyone.

We hope that all Iraqi political parties will act with a high sense of responsibility and national unity to safeguard the lives, dignity, and future of the country’s generations. The stability and peace of Iraq must remain a shared priority for all.

Rifaat Abdullah
Vice President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan


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