Following Federal Court's decision
Christian communities boycott Kurdistan parliament election
AINKAWA – In a press conference held tonight, representatives from the Christian Chaldean, Syriac, Assyrian, and Armenian communities collectively declared their decision to boycott the upcoming sixth-term Kurdistan Parliament elections.
This decision was prompted by the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court’s recent ruling to nullify the reserved quota seat for these communities.
In a statement delivered tonight in the Christian-majority Ainkawa district of Erbil, the Christian representatives criticized the Court’s decision as “unjust and discriminatory” against their communities, saying it constituted “a historical error.”
The representatives highlighted the role of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), as the group’s bloc in the Kurdistan Parliament had filed the complaint that led to the Court’s decision. The PUK is one of the two main Kurdish political parties and has objected to the quota representation system being manipulated by its rival, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, which dominates local governing structures.
They emphasized the significance of the quota system for minority representation initially established by the Kurdistan region election laws in 1992. Without it, they say, these communities would struggle to compete against Kurdish parties in the predominantly Kurdish-populated region.
“We believe in democracy and Christian citizens can participate individually in the elections. However, as political entities, we will abstain from participating in the elections and oppose any demographic changes,” the Christian representatives asserted.
Following 11 sessions, the Federal Supreme Court annulled several articles and clauses of the amended 1992 Kurdistan Parliament election law on February 21, deeming 11 reserved seats for minority communities unconstitutional. This reduced the number of parliament members to 100.