The Christian alliance demands a ministerial portfolio for its constituents based on merit, not quotas.
The Christian alliance demands a ministerial portfolio for its constituents based on merit, not quotas.
2026-10-19
Shafaq News – Erbil
The Christian Alliance called on Monday evening for the preservation of their legal and constitutional rights in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, stressing the need for ministerial portfolios allocated to the components to be based on competence and academic qualifications, not political quotas.
This came during a meeting held by the Christian Alliance in the city of Erbil, attended by representatives of various Christian groups (Chaldeans, Syriacs, Assyrians, and Armenians).
Following the meeting, the alliance held a press conference attended by a correspondent from Shafaq News Agency, in which it affirmed that Christians are continuing their legal demands, despite the calamities and tragedies they have suffered, especially the terrorist threats, killings, and intimidation that have affected our people, the Syriacs and Assyrians, in Iraq.
The statement addressed the absence of a quota system in elections, particularly in the Iraqi parliament, and the accompanying imposition of people who do not represent the truth and the actual reality of Christians.
The coalition expressed its categorical rejection of attempts by a certain party to seize the ministerial post allocated to Christians without regard to the rights and demands of the various groups, considering this unacceptable and stating that legal frameworks will be used to address it.
The Christian Alliance called on the Iraqi Prime Minister to deal with this issue from the perspective of the rights of the components, in accordance with an institutional governmental approach, away from deals and political pressures.
In the same context, the coalition sent a special message to the Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, asking him to intervene directly and assume his national and pivotal role by virtue of his position and political weight to resolve this issue and do justice to the components.
On the regional level, the statement addressed the need to activate the Kurdistan Parliament and form the new government structure for the Kurdistan Regional Government, indicating that although the coalition had reservations about the mechanisms of Christian representation in previous parliamentary sessions, expediting the activation of the legislative institution is an urgent need.
He stressed the need for the Kurdistan Parliament, in its current session after its activation, to amend the region’s election law in a way that ensures the clear and explicit definition of the rights of national and religious components, and prevents any party from exploiting this issue as a political pressure tactic.
The Christian Alliance concluded its statement by affirming its commitment to continuing its dialogues and intensive coordination with all Kurdish political parties and forces in order to end the current political deadlock in the region.
shafaq.com
