Athra Alliance rejects reduction of quota seats for Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people in Kurdistan Regional Parliament

ANKAWA, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — The Athra Alliance expressed strong opposition to the removal of three out of the five seats allocated to the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people in the Kurdistan Regional Parliament, as specified by the 1992 law under which the first parliamentary elections were conducted. The Alliance also criticized the redistribution of these seats based on what it describes as an inaccurate demographic and political map of the population in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).

The Athra Alliance accused influential regional parties of disregarding the rights and political partnership of the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people, alleging that their will has been undermined in previous parliamentary sessions through an electoral law that facilitated this under the guise of formal democracy.

The Alliance declared its firm rejection of this unlawful imposition and pledged to escalate their struggle by boycotting the upcoming elections until all seats are restored to the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people. They called on their community to demonstrate against this political injustice and urged the international community to address the discrimination faced by national minorities under a regime that claims to uphold democracy and human rights.

The Athra Alliance demanded the reinstatement of all five seats for the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people in the regional parliament. They called for the KRI to be treated as a single electoral district for these quota seats, limiting voting for the quota seats to voters from their community, and ensuring the provision of designated electoral centers and ballot papers for these voters.

The Athra Alliance, officially established on 3 August 2022, is a joint political bloc formed by five Chaldea–Syriac–Assyrian political parties — Bethnahrin Patriotic Union (Huyodo Bethnahrin Athroyo, HBA), the Assyrian Patriotic Party, Abnaa al-Nahrain, the Assyrian Democratic Movement (Zowaa), and the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian Popular Council.