Assyrian politics in Iraq explained

Assyrian politics in Iraq have been taking many different turns since the US invasion of the country in 2003. Today, there are many different Assyrian political parties in Iraq. The main Assyrian party that came out from the 2005 elections was the Assyrian Democratic Movement. However, Sarkis Aghajan began to challenge its power beginning in 2006 with the opening of Ishtar TV and the KDP-affiliated Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council.

1992 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election

See main article: 1992 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election. On May 19, 1992, elections were held for the Kurdistan National Assembly (KNA,) the parliament of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq. At the time, the National Assembly had 105 seats. The parties representing the Assyrian community competed in a closed list guaranteeing that there would be five Assyrian seats in the KNA.There were four Assyrian lists in the elections:

Results[1]

ADM KCU DCKAD
Dohuk 5,555 1,841 181241
Erbil 900 880 347 1,855
Sulemani83 36 9 38
Darbandikhan
(parts of Kirkuk)
4 - - -
Total6,543
54%
2,757
23%
537
5%
2,134
18%

A minimum of 2,400 votes was required to win a seat. ADM won four seats and one was won by the Kurdistan Christian Unity.The names of those elected into the parliament:

Francis Youif was assassinated on June 1, 1993, in Dohuk.[2]

Iraqi parliamentary election, January 2005

Iraqi parliamentary election, January 2005A general election was held on 30 January 2005 to elect a temporary 275-member Council of Representatives of Iraq. It was the first time in the history of Iraq (outside of KRG-areas) that Assyrian political parties had been allowed to be part of the electoral system. In the elections, there were three different Assyrian lists;

Assyrian Democratic Movement

Assyrian National Congress

Assyrian Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party of Sargon Dadesho

Beth Nahren Patriotic Union

Syriac Independent Gathering Movement

Chaldean National Congress was initially part of list 204, but ended up dropping off before the election. Chaldean Democratic Union Party (CDUP), Assyrian Patriotic Party (APP) and Bet Nahrain Democratic Party (BNDP) of Romeo Hakkari joined the Kurdistani list (130).

Rafidain
204
ANA
139
Bet-Nahrain
148
Anbar10 1 4
Arbil958 106 217
Babil104 72 101
Baghdad7,430 1,210 1,472
Basra120 153 179
Diyala219 114 56
Dohuk4,165 155 137
Karbala44 57 75
Kirkuk978 599 389
Missan15 29 29
Muthanna10 22 18
Najaf56 59 63
Ninawa3,346 97 302
Qadissiya38 57 48
Salahadin10 18 31
Sulaymani99 39 174
Thiqar68 101 92
Wasit47 32 27
Out-of-country voting18,538 4,198 727
Total36,255 7,119 4,141

In all, six Assyrians were elected to the parliament. National Rafidain list got the minimum required votes for a seat in the parliament and it was given to Yonadam Kanna (ADM.) Other Assyrians that were elected into the parliament include Goriel Mineso Khamis (BNDP), Nuri Potrus 'Atto, Ablahad Afraim Sawa (CDUP) and Jacklin Qosin Zomaya (APP) all under the Kurdistani list (130.) Wijdan Michael was elected under Iyad Allawi's secular list.

Iraq Governorate elections, 2005

See main article: Iraqi governorate elections, 2005.

On the same day, Iraq held a local governorate elections in all 18 governorates. Assyrian political parties participitated in 4 of the 18 local governorate elections. The only Assyrian party that won a seat in any governorate was the Assyrian Democratic Movement in the Nineveh Governorate. The party received 4,650 votes and captured one seat (out of 41.)

Rafidain
204
Bet-Nahrain
148
Minimum votes
per seat
Arbil2,001 - 15,120
Dohuk4,919 - 8,918
Kirkuk1,554 - 8,727
Nineveh4,650 2,315 3,451

In addition, Salvana Boya of the Assyrian Patriotic Party was elected in the Kirkuk Governorate council under the Kurdistani list.[3]

2005 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election

See main article: 2005 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election. Elections for the Kurdistan National Assembly, the parliament of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, were held on 30 January 2005, to coincide with the Iraqi legislative election and governoral council elections. All Assyrian-based parties joined the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan. The coalition won 104 of the 111 seats in the parliament, of which 5 were won by Assyrians:

(in order as they were in the coalition list)

Iraqi parliamentary election, 2005 (December)

See main article: Iraqi legislative election, December 2005.

A general election was held on 15 December 2005 to elect a permanent 275-member Iraqi Council of Representatives. The elections took place under a list system, whereby voters chose from a list of parties. In the elections, there were three main Assyrian list:

Beth Nahren Patriotic Union

Chaldean National Congress

Assyrian Patriotic Party

Syriac Independent Gathering Movement

Chaldean Democratic Forum

Hikmat Hakim (Independent)

Other Assyrian parties decided to side with non-Assyrian based list. The Chaldean Democratic Union Party decided to run under the Kurdish list (730.) The Iraqi Christian Democratic Party of Minas al-Yousifi joined the list of the Iraqi National Dialogue Front (667.) Bet Nahrain Democratic Party of Romeo Hakkari withdrew.

Rafidain
740
Nahrain
752
AGC
800
Anbar33 - -
Arbil1,705 42 -
Babil45 - -
Baghdad9,986597 148
Basra97105 -
Diyala92 62 -
Dohuk4,867 200 135
Karbala15 - -
Kirkuk1,751 136 134
Missan18 - -
Muthanna28 - -
Najaf91 - -
Nineveh9,010 3,487 194
Qadissiya27 - -
Salahadin204 - -
Sulaymani197 - -
Thiqar19 - -
Wasit11 - -
Out of
country voting
16,067 4,081 1,218
Total44,263 8,710 1,829
Nineveh Governorate
Rafidain
740
Nahrain
752
KDP/PUK
730
Allawi
731
1,013 502,060 150
Bakhdida[4] 2,2022,5137442,854
637155187256
80478271653
1,4071725001,496
21427892202
485362,030720

In all, three Assyrians were voted into the parliament. ADM succeeded in capturing one parliament seat in the Baghdad governorate, which was given to the secretary of its party, Yonadam Kanna. Fawzi Hariri (KDP) and Ablahad Afraim Sawa (CDUP) under the Kurdistani list (730) for the Arbil governorate were voted in as well.

Iraqi Governorate elections 2009

See main article: Iraqi governorate elections, 2009. A local governorate election was held on January 31, 2009, in Iraq. There were no elections in the heavily-Assyrian populated north governorate of Dohuk and Arbil (including Slemani and Kirkuk.) 440 seats in 14 (of the 18) Iraqi governorates were up for grabs.

In the last local governorate elections, only one seat (in Nineveh) was won by Assyrians (ADM.) Unlike the 2005 local elections, minority groups had reserved seats ahead of the election. Three seats were reserved for Assyrians; one each in the governorates of Nineveh, Baghdad and Basra.

In the election, there were three main Assyrian blocks fighting for votes. The Assyrian Democratic Movement being one, under the list titled National Rafidain List (504). The other being a Kurdistan Democratic Party-backed block titled the Ishtar Patriotic List (513).

The Ishtar Patriotic List included the following:

The third major list was the Chaldean Democratic Union Party (503).

Nineveh Governorate
Rafidain
504
Ishtar
513
CDUP
503
KDP/PUK
236
Bakhdida1,7337,061150 -
600 2,000 - -
360 513 80136
Bashika796473 -
512 481 103 872
45 66 47 73
304 742 240 607
226200 36490
Ainsifni 33590 - -
Other towns1,9501,960196-
Total[5] 6,14413,760855-

The Nineveh seat was won by Saad Tanios Jaji of SIGM. The Baghdad seat was won by Gewargis Isho Sada of the BNDP. The Ishtar Patriotic List decided not to run in the Basra elections, however, it supported the Chaldean National Congress (CNC.) The Basra seat was won by Saad Matti Boutros of the CDUP.

2009 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election

See main article: 2009 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election. Kurdistan Region held elections to elect its 111-member Kurdistan National Assembly on 25 July 2009. Five seats are reserved for Assyrians. There were 8 Assyrian parties that initially signed up to participate in the elections. Prior to the elections, BNDP decided to withdraw. APP and KACP decided to run on a joint list. CDUP and CNC merged in a joint list as well.

Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council

Assyrian Democratic Movement

Assyrian Patriotic Party

Chaldo-Ashur Communist Party

Chaldean Democratic Union Party

Chaldean Democratic Forum

ResultsTotalSeats
DohukZakhoShaqlawaDianaHaodianAnkawaErbilKoysanjaqArmotaOther Votes% 2005 2009
Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council2,426 1,990 463 167 14 1,179 19 15 184,304 10,59553.9 - 3
Assyrian Democratic Movement3,703 362 173 170 28 93040 6 12 266 5,69028.3 2 2
Chaldean Democratic Union Party
Chaldean National Congress
281 30 32 55 3651 9361,700 8.61
-
Chaldo-Ashur Communist Party
Assyrian Patriotic Party
244 78 10 23 - 883 3 439 1,680 8.5- -

The elected politicians:

Iraqi parliamentary election, 2010

A parliamentary election was held on 7 March 2010. The parliament previously approved to increase the number of seats from 275 to 325, of which 5 seats were reserved for Assyrians. The reserved seats for Assyrian in Iraqi parliament was the first in the country's history. Going into the elections, four Christians were in the parliament: Yonadam Kanna (ADM), Fawzi Hariri (KDP,) Ablahad Afraim Sawa (CDUP,) and Wijdan Michael (Allawi list.)

The Assyrian Patriotic Party, Chaldean Democratic Forum, and the Bet Nahrain Democratic Party announced on November 15, that they would create an alliance.

Five major lists have been created for the election;

All Governorates[6]
ADM
389
CSAPC
390
CDC
391
CDUP
392
SY
393
Ishtar
394
JJ
395
Total
Anbar494137878368617937
Babil201481610961625874 1,682
Baghdad6,6633,440812611 532 723 25213,033
Basra3264881,295247243103502,752
Diyala1011196779518981221,374
Dohuk7,152 3,631 315847 2504027412,671
Erbil1,8712,323 594289117232415,467
Karbala9775 245484 9746441,088
Kirkuk2,11552545512491159593,528
Missan11872 63150 2244059726
Muthanna12324070121543630674
Najaf12654822003676527921
Nineveh7,667 8,858 1,069 6992977363,69423,020
Qadissiya1176410432038491611,141
Salahadin145449 13895536722969
Sulaymani29488422051124143825
Thiqar373606901371374631 1,420
Wasit112232470449190481,087
Total28,095 21,882 6,6085,5473,4683,077 4,63873,315
Percent38.329.9 9.07.64.74.2 6.3100
Nineveh Governorate
ADM
389
CSAPC
390
CDC
391
CDUP
392
Ishtar
394
JJ
395
421 268 14 - 26
1,4502,754 2378 32 3,315
112 259105 1473-
22 41 4---
575 1,886 - 27 2 3
290 443 4 42 2916
54898----
201 558 18699106-
Erbil Governorate
1,018 1,495 443 71126-
Diana 145186 1 - 32-
Hawdiyan 3411-- --
128 288 9 1923-
Dohuk Governorate
Ainsifni358104- -33-
1866----
Der Alok 16946----
2,166424----
Komani 12587----
Monsouriye 14040----
3725741126-
Sheyoz 24136-44--
6791,014----

Three seats were won by the ADM and two seats by the CSAPC. The five elected into the parliament:

Iraqi Governorate elections, 2013

A Governorate (or local) elections were held in Iraq on 20 April 2013, with Nineveh Governorate along with Anbar voting on June 20, due to violence in the city caused by the Islamic State of Iraq. Elections didn't take place in the 3 governorates forming the Kurdistan Region.

As with the previous local elections, 3 seats were reserved for Assyrians, including one each in Baghdad, Nineveh and Basra. The Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council reclaimed their seats in Nineveh and Baghdad, by receiving 8,635 and 1,513 votes respectively.[7] [8]

2013 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election

See main article: 2013 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election. Kurdistan Region held elections to elect its 111-member Kurdistan National Assembly on 21 September 2013. Each Kurdish party listed 100 candidates while each Assyrian and Turkman party listed 5 candidates. There were 3 Assyrian lists running for the five reserved seats. Prior to the election, some ADM members decided to leave the party and run on their own list called Sons of Mesopotamia.

Results

The elections resulted in the Popular Council losing one seat, while ADM retaining two seats and the new Mesopotamia List being given one seat.[9] Yaqoub Gorgis and Lina Azriya Bahram of the ADM were elected along with Srood Maqdasy from the Mesopotamia List.[9] Within the Chaldean Syriac Assyrian United List, the Popular Council managed retain its 2 seats.

Seats
Votes %2009 2013
Assyrian Democratic Movement6,14547.422
Chaldean Syriac Assyrian United List5,73044.232
Sons of Mesopotamia List1,0938.4-1
Total12,96810055

Chaldean Syriac Assyrian United List individual votes:

Chaldean Syriac Assyrian United List
Name PartyVotes
Wahida Yaqo Hirmiz Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council2,517
Kamal Yalda Markoz Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council1,466
Nina LouisBet-Nahrain Democratic Party507
Sargon SalimAssyrian Patriotic Party 400
Janan JabbarChaldean National Council 273

Other Assyrians ran in Kurdish parties, but non were able to get enough votes to win a seat in the parliament.[10] [11] Many voters in Assyrian dominated Areas voted for these parties, including 3,377 votes for the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Ankawa alone.

Kurdistan Communist Party
Name votesRanking in List
(out of 100)
Insaf Munif Yaqub 374
Abdulmasih Sleman Yalda 205
Victoria Yalda Gorgis64
Bouya Markos Behnam 59
Nithal Walid Louis58
Dalia Farid Noori40
Talia Khamis Matti21
Luay Jameel Sanati15
Total836
Kurdistan Democratic Party
Name votesRanking in List
(out of 100)
Christof (Rebwar) Yalda 3,497
Sanna Yaqub 824
Total4,321

Iraqi parliamentary elections 2014

See main article: Assyrian elections in Iraq, 2014. Parliamentary elections were held in Iraq on 30 April 2014, electing the 328 members of the Council of Representatives, of which 5 were reserved for the Assyrian minority. 2 of the seats were won by the Assyrian Democratic Movement, 2 by the Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council, and one by the Iraqi Communist Party who was under the Civil Democratic Alliance.

2014 Iraqi Parliament Assyrian winners
Name PartyVotesGovernorate
Assyrian Democratic Movement9,023Baghdad
Sargon Lazar Assyrian Democratic Movement3,908Kirkuk
Polis Shamoon IshakChaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council1,240Erbil
Raed Ishak Matti4,929Nineveh
Azad Hirmiz Nissan416Duhok
Azad was replaced Joseph Sylawa. ADM tried but failed to make Sargon Lazar a minister, after Sargon resigned his seat and gave it to Imad Youkhana Yaqo.

Iraqi parliamentary elections, 2018

See main article: Assyrian elections in Iraq, 2018. Parliamentary elections were held in Iraq on 12 May 2018, electing 329 members of the Council of Representatives. A total of 7 different Assyrian lists competed for the 5 reserved seats. Babylon Movement, a mostly non-Assyrian militia linked to the Iranian-backed paramilitary group, entered the parliament for the first time after receiving more than 33,000 votes, leading to winning 2 seats. CSAPC, Rafidain list and the Chaldean Catholic-supported Chaldean list all received one seat. Many within the Assyrian community publicly condemned Babylon Movement and its leader Rayan al-Kildani for taking reserved seats for the Assyrian communities through votes coming mostly from southern Shia Arab individuals.[12] The results to some even calling for the then US President Donald Trump to pressure Iraqi authorities to invalidate the results, however no actions were taken.

Iraqi governorate elections, 2023

See main article: Results of the 2023 Iraqi governorate election (Assyrian seats). The 2023 Iraqi governorate elections were held on December 18, 2023, after almost 10 years passing after the last one. The delay was mostly due to the 2014 ISIS invasion and occupation. Governorates under the KRG did not participate. For the Assyrians, reserved seats were allocated in the following governorates: Basra, Baghdad, Kirkuk, and Ninewa.[13]

See also

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Iraqi Kurdistan Political Development and Emergent Democracy By Gareth R V Stansfield, Inc NetLibrary. page 201.
  2. J. C. Michael, “The Chaldo-Assyrian Cause in Iraq: Implications for Maronites”, National Apostolate of Maronites Convention, Orlando, Florida, July 16, 2004
  3. Web site: Iraq Politics and Constitution - سياسة العراق و الدستور العراقي . 2009-10-23 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110727124148/http://www.niqash.org/content.php?contentTypeID=74&id=2555&lang=0 . 2011-07-27 .
  4. http://www.zahrira.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1391 زهريرا نت
  5. Web site: المفوضية العليا المستقلة للانتخابات - الصفحة الرئيسية . 2009-03-04 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090304063921/http://www.ihec.iq/Arabic/index.aspx . 2009-03-04 .
  6. Web site: النتائج النهائية لقوائم ابناء شعبنا في جميع المحافظات لأنتخابات مجلس النواب العراقي.
  7. Web site: Archived copy . 2014-04-30 . 2017-08-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170809154245/http://www.ihec.iq/ihecftp/anb+nay_res/1n.pdf . dead .
  8. Web site: Archived copy . 2014-04-30 . 2013-09-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130903002639/http://www.ihec.iq/ntaij/baghdad.pdf . dead .
  9. Web site: جدول بأعداد اصوات مرشحي قوائم ابناء شعبنا في انتخابات برلمان اقليم كوردستان وعدد النسب المئوية للقائمة والمرشحين.
  10. Web site: جدول بأعداد اصوات مرشحي ابناء شعبنا في قائمة آزادي (107) المشاركة في برلمان اقليم كوردستان.
  11. Web site: جدول بأعداد الاصوات التي حصل عليها مرشحي ابناء شعبنا في قائمة الحزب الديمقراطي الكوردستاني (110).
  12. Web site: A Mostly Non-Christian Militia Won 2 of Iraqi Christians' Parliamentary Seats. Now Christians Want Trump to Intervene . 23 May 2018 .
  13. https://www.alsumaria.tv/news/provincial-elections-2023/476494/%D9%85%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B6%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D9%83%D8%B4%D9%81-%D8%A2%D8%AE%D8%B1-%D8%A5%D8%AD%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%B4%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%86