Kurdistan Region communities denounce Iraqi Federal Supreme Court ruling

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region communities on Wednesday issued a joint statement on the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court ruling on Feb. 21, which removed quota seats from the Kurdistan Region Parliament.

statement noted that it is an oppressive decision and a continuation of an old political tradition that the complaint was filed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Political rights of Kurdistan communities have been guaranteed since the establishment of the Kurdistan Parliament in 1992. 

“Since the Kurdish uprising in 1991, the Kurdistan Region has attempted to become a safe haven for its communities,” the statement read.

According to the statement these decisions are made for the benefit of a certain party, at the expense of all communities. “This is a threat to Iraq, which violates the rights of Turkmen and Christians.”

Turkmen and Christian representatives called for pressure on the Iraqi authorities to implement the Iraqi constitution.

As per Article 36 of the Kurdistan Parliamentary Election Law, five seats were reserved for Chaldeans, Syrians and Assyrians, one for Armenians and five for Turkmens, but the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq annulled the 11 seats on Feb. 21.