Mayor of Ankawa calls for restoration of political representation for Christians in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

ANKAWA, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — Rami Nouri Siawash, the mayor of Ankawa, has called for immediate action to restore political representation for Christians in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Speaking in an interview with Asia News, Siawash condemned the recent reduction of parliamentary seats for Christians and urged unity among Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian political parties to defend their legal rights.

Siawash emphasized that Chaldeans–Syriacs–Assyrians have lived in the region for millennia and their representation in the Kurdistan Regional Parliament is not a privilege but a basic right tied to their long-standing presence. He expressed alarm at the decision to cut Christian seats from six to three, a move he described as politically motivated and detrimental to the future of the Christian community.

The new seat allocation assigns one Christian representative each to Erbil, Nohadra (Duhok), and Sulaymaniyah, but Siawash highlighted that the vast majority of Christians reside in Erbil and Nohadra. “Ankawa alone has 80,000 people, 92% of whom are Christians,” he stated, adding that Dohuk is home to over 100 Christian villages, further emphasizing the imbalance.

Sulaymaniyah, in contrast, has a smaller Christian population, primarily displaced families from other parts of Iraq, many of whom cannot vote in the regional elections.

Siawash urged Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian and Christian political parties to set aside internal differences and work together to regain full representation in the Parliament, warning that division within the community would only weaken their political influence. He also called on the Kurdistan Regional Government to reconsider the seat reduction, which followed a ruling by the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court declaring the components quota unconstitutional.

With Christians now holding only three seats in the regional legislature, alongside one for the Armenian community, the push for fair representation has become increasingly urgent. Siawash’s appeal highlights a growing concern among Iraq’s Christian community, as they struggle to preserve their political presence and protect their historical and cultural heritage in a volatile region.