20/08/2020

IRAQ: Beth Nahrain Democratic Party launches national initiative, calls for Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian political parties to unite in National Action Pact

ANKAWA, ERBIL, Iraq – The Beth Nahrain Democratic Party (BNDP) in Iraq has launched a national initiative in which it addresses all national political parties and organized actors of the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people in Iraq to come to a unified national agenda.

In view of the ongoing security, political, and economic crisis situation in Iraq, and in light of the continued serious challenges the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people face in Iraq, the statement issued by BNDP calls for an expanded conference, within the next 10 days, of all political parties and actors to find a common national action mechanism to ensure legitimate and just constitutional rights in federal Iraq.

The urgent appeal should bring together all parties around the table in political dialogue and;

1 – draft and activate a National Action Pact. The National Action Pact must confront the current existential threats for the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people’s future existence in federal Iraq by unifying the political discourse and arrange the internal home in Iraq for Chaldeans-Syriacs-Assyrians;

2 – take serious and unified steps to resolve transgression of rights and issues of abuse against Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian villages, property, and lands in central and northern Iraq;

3 – reverse the ongoing and forceful demographic change in the Nineveh Plain;

4 – ensure the return of property and property rights to their rightful owners;

5 – ensuring the rights of the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people in elections and fair representation in the official institutions in both central and regional government;

6 – preparing for upcoming political developments, especially the parliamentary elections scheduled for 6 June, 2021, and agree upon a joint approach with regards to the law on quotas reserved for the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people.

The Beth Nahrain Democratic Party, headed by Secretary General Romeo Hakkari, concludes its initiative by calling on all parties to now “give priority to supreme national interest above individual party interests” and “to reject the marginal and partisan differences and disputes to achieve the terms and patriotic objectives of our nation.”

“Therefore; we invite you to hold an expanded meeting at the headquarters of our party or in any other place that you think is appropriate for everyone within a period not exceeding 10 days from the date of issuing this initiative.”