Assyrian Democratic Organization ADO
24-02-2024
We at the Assyrian Democratic Organization express our deep concern over the recent decisions issued by the Iraqi Federal Court regarding the abolition of quota, “parliament entitlement for national entities”, allocated to Chaldean Syriac Assyrian, Turkmen, and Armenians. We also express our deep concerns about this decision that may undermine and harm the political status and constitutional rights of these entities, which have been achieved in new Iraq, through the struggle of the Iraqi people, including the people of these entities.
Even though we consider this matter to be an Iraqi internal affair, we have the right to express our opinion, as a political movement that is concerned with the impact of human rights issues in the countries of the region; and is the oldest continuous national political movement among the Chaldean Syriac Assyrians in the region, we consider the Iraq’s new political experience after 2003, especially in addressing issues of national diversity, as a model and an example in the countries of the region. Nevertheless, we are shocked by the recent decision of the Iraqi Federal Court, which is inconsistent with the new Iraqi experience and spirit that is built on: the constitution, customs, and political tradition for the following reasons:
First: It is stated in the preamble of the Iraqi constitution that new Iraq and its democratic system is founded upon and takes into consideration “the suffering and oppression of the Iraqi national entities”. Therefore, a specified quota for representing (Chaldeans Syriacs Assyrians) is a guarantor to prevent such disadvantages from happening again in the future, thus permanently preserving their political representation in the constitutional institutions. Where we have hoped that the Federal Iraqi Parliament would be inspired by the experience of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament in that context.
Second: Article Three of the Iraqi Constitution stipulates that Iraq is a multinational country; based on this fact and modern democratic values and principles, and the subsequent tragedies that befell our people over the past two decades, the positive political consideration that characterized our people in the Kurdistan Regional Parliament is an implementation of that principle, and is a mean of strengthening our people’s confidence in the justice system, political life, and public order in the country.
Third: Article 14 of the Iraqi Constitution prohibits any discrimination on a national or ethnic basis. This matter, always, requires political forces present in the legislative institutions and having the powers of proposing, monitoring, and questioning, in the event, that it may occur; therefore, only permanent representatives of the smaller entities are capable of doing that sustainably.
Fourth: Article 125 of the Iraqi Constitution explicitly stipulates guaranteeing the administrative, political, cultural, and educational rights of the various entities, such as the Turkmen, the Chaldeans Assyrians, and other components and shall be regulated by law. What guarantees are in place to achieve these rights when such an inevitable absence of parliamentary representation in the supreme legislative institutions?
Fifth: Our people did not wage political and armed struggle, for decades, against Iraqi tyrannies as Christians, but rather as Syriac Chaldean Assyrians, who have been living in a state of national oppression since the 1930s. The suffering of our people was a consequence of their demands to establish their national identity and rights, not religious ones. Therefore, ensuring their political representation from a national and not from a religious point of view in the central parliament, as well as in the parliament of Iraqi Kurdistan, is considered a paramount and fundamental matter that all our political parties in Iraq are concerned with.
We, in the Assyrian Democratic Organization, declare our solidarity with our brothers in Iraq and with the political forces defending their just constitutional rights, including all Iraqi political figures and forces that believe in democratic values, spirit of consensus, and commitment to protecting the least privileged entities to represent themselves.
We consider ourselves part of their continuous struggle to preserve the quota allocated to our people and all other nationalities, which is a true representation and expression of their will, by peaceful means, far from being monopolized and abused by major political blocs in Iraq, to preserve what the new Iraq has achieved.
Thanks to the struggles of the Iraqi people of various nationalities, including the Chaldean Syriac Assyrians.
ADO, The Executive Office
Syria, 24/2/2024
