Electoral amendments needed for true representation, says Maruf
Maruf detailed that after numerous meetings and consultations with the communities, there was a collective understanding that the electoral law needs amendment following the current election cycle.
Erbil (Kurdistan 24) – Aydin Maruf, the Kurdistan Region’s Minister of State for Minority Affairs, emphasized the need for all parties to consider the situation of minority communities and support their rights.
In an interview with Kurdistan24 on Tuesday, Maruf highlighted the sensitivity of issues concerning communities and nations in the Kurdistan Region, stressing the importance of addressing them wisely.
"In the past, a lot of injustice was done to the communities, especially by abolishing the quota seats, which were reduced from 11 seats to five seats," Maruf said. "We had requested an increase to the quota seats before and reaffirm our request again now."
Maruf detailed that after numerous meetings and consultations with the communities, there was a collective understanding that the electoral law needs amendment following the current election cycle.
He advocated for increasing the number of quota seats to 15 after the parliamentary elections to ensure true representation and broader participation of all ethnic and religious communities.
Read More: KRG Minister calls for increased quota seats, veto rights for the communities
“The Federal Court has annulled the communities' rights in the past. We know that the decision was political and against the communities. There is a very good coexistence in Kurdistan and it has supported the rights of the communities more than ever. This is of importance to the ethnic and religious communities,” Maruf remarked.
He underscored the necessity for every party to consider the communities' situation and support their rights, advocating for elections to be held on time with the participation of all parties and communities.
Maruf also highlighted the importance of political factions working on amending the electoral law post-elections to better accommodate minority rights.
