KRG Minister calls for increased quota seats, veto rights for the communities

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Aydin Maruf, the Kurdistan Region’s Minister of State for Minority Affairs, addressed a news conference following a meeting with civil society organizations representing ethnic and religious communities.

He announced that these communities are demanding a right to veto in the new parliamentary session, an amendment to the election law, and an increase in quota seats to 15.

Maruf stated, “Some communities will participate in the elections outside the quota system, while others have boycotted the elections in protest against the current quota system and the geographical distribution of the seats.”

He criticized the current allocation of five quota seats for the communities, describing it as inadequate and the geographical division as flawed due to a lack of prior consultation with the communities.

As Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Maruf pledged to closely monitor the situation of ethnic and religious communities.

“Communities participate in the elections as ethnic groups within the Kurdistan Region but on a religious basis in Iraq. Today's meeting was consultative, and we will continue to hold such meetings to gather opinions and suggestions. These will be compiled into a report to be submitted to relevant parties to better support the communities in the Kurdistan Region,” he said.

Maruf emphasized the Kurdistan Regional Government’s full support for community rights, noting that the government’s efforts have fostered a high level of unity and coexistence among the region’s communities.

The minister revealed that all community activists agreed that the sixth session of the Kurdistan parliamentary elections should proceed on schedule, with the participation of all political parties and communities.

He confirmed that there is a push to amend the electoral law to increase the number of quota seats for communities from five to 15. This proposed increase would allocate 11 seats based on ethnicity and four based on religion, ensuring representation for religious components such as the Yezidis and Shabaks in the Kurdistan Region’s parliament.

Maruf also pointed out that the quota system in the Iraqi Parliament has failed, advocating for community representatives to have veto rights in the upcoming session to better safeguard their interests.

He called on all political parties to avoid interfering in community rights and affairs, emphasizing that communities seek to be a positive force in strengthening relationships rather than supporting one party against another.