The Assyrian Democratic Organization
To accomplish this noble goal, a proper start must be present. However, the process for the preparation for the Iraqi National Conference and the nomination of delegates to it, which took place in Doduk Governorate, does not reflect such healthy start. This process did not abide by democratic factors, foundations, and ways and means that were decided upon by the Upper Committee. The terms and stipulations of these ways and means guaranteed to distribute special percentages for political organizations, civil society institutions, religious, tribal, scholarly and cultural figures. However, what happened in Dohuk was completely distant from, contrary to, and did not reflect these foundations and standards.
The Assyrian Democratic Movement (ADM) struggled against dictatorship for more than 25 years. It has its distinguished place among our people and among the Iraqi patriotic movement through its actual participation in opposing the past regime. The ADM gave many eternal martyrs who were executed by the past regime and its members were imprisoned in the regime’s prison cells and jails. The ADM participated in previous Iraqi opposition meetings, in the temporary governing council, Iraqi current cabinet, and in the Upper Committee assigned to oversee the preparations for the Iraqi National Conference. The ADM represents our people in the regional parliament in north of Iraq since its elections in 1992 and to this day. However, the ADM was expatriated from participating in the preparation process and was kept away from nominating delegates from Dohuk Governorate.
This whole unfair process was applied to many other civil society institutions such as the ChaldoAssyrian Student and Youth Union, ChaldoAssyrian Women Union. It was applied against many notables that have their distinguished role and place among our people. The expatriation and removal of our groups occurred in collaboration between the local authorities in Dohuk Governorate, ruled by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and the special committee in Dohuk assigned by the Upper Committee. This deliberate removal and marginalization of our groups and those effective and distinguished personalities from among our ChaldoAssyrian people is a persistent stand and actions that had continued for many years. This has taken place since 1991 while north of Iraq was under the auspice of international protection for 12 years while the region was considered to be experiencing a democratic experiment. However, ChaldoAssyrians were expatriated and kept away from occupying high and sensitive positions. Such positions included deputy governor or mayors in localities that they occupied historically and in regions that reflected a dense ChaldoAssyrian population. Furthermore, the ChaldoAsyrians deserve these considerations since they make the second ethnic group percentage wise in the Dohuk Governorate.
The ChaldoAssyrians did not enjoy these lawful rights. The trespassing against ChaldoAssyrian Christian lands and villages, stealing these lands from their lawful owners, who continue to exist on this land since time immemorial, and the practices of the narrow-minded organizations towards the common ChaldoAssyrian folks requires a pause, reconsideration, and correction of the mistakes. This, we say especially during these democratic transitions that are not affecting our country alone but rather they are profound changes that their consequences are reflected on the international arena.
We demand from the Upper Committee that oversees the preparations for the Iraqi National Conference to re-examine the delegate’s nomination process in Dohuk Governorate and undo the mistakes because what happened discredits the legality of the conference itself.
Assyrian Democratic Movement
Dohuk Bureau
July 21, 2004
