By Baghdadhope
In a letter dated Sept. 26 and addressed to the leaders of the government, to Iraqi parliament and politicians the Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, confirmed the belonging of Christians to Iraqi society as original inhabitants of the country, faithful servants and respectful of their patriotic duties.
But above all, however, he demanded the revoke of the abrogation of Article 50 approved by the Iraqi parliament a few days ago that caused in Iraq and worldwide the protest of the Iraqi Christian community that feels - and declares to be - no more legitimately represented in the upcoming elections for provincial councils.
On last July 22, 127 parliamentarians out of the 142 present of the 275 in total approved the Iraqi Provincial Election Law that would rule the representative quota system for the provincial elections planned for October. The law bogged with the rejection of its signature by the President of Iraq, the Kurdish Jalal Talabani, who accused it of being unconstitutional because approved by not even half the members of parliament, and was sent back for changes.
The crux of the matter was, by then, the issue of Kirkuk and the provincial elections in the governorate of Tamim of which the city is the capital. A matter which involved all parties that on it - but mainly on its huge oil resources – set up claims: Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens. The solution found was a new discussion of the law that led to its new approval some days ago. As for Kirkuk, the parliament decided to postpone the elections until after March 2009 while still to be determined is the date of the elections in the three governorates that make up the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan.
The problem seemed to be resolved with a formula of compromise that makes presage further delay but, this time, to raise their voices are the minority communities complaining for their exclusion from the political game in the country.
The law passed on July 22, in fact, ruled that in six provinces the minorities should have been guaranteed a certain number of seats as follows:
For Christians 13 seats in total:
Baghdad = 3
Nineveh = 3
Erbil = 2
Dohuk = 2
Kirkuk = 2
Basra = 1
For the Shabak and Yazidis 1 seat for each community.
These seats would allow voters to express their consent to their candidate in the certainty of their representation in the provincial councils.
Immediate was the reaction of the minorities. For Christians the first crying shame were the politicians and different associations in the world.
Thus, Yonadam Kanna, the only representative elected to Iraqi parliament in a Christian list and leader of the Assyrian Democratic Movement, spoke of "the confiscation of the free will of minorities" aiming at having them politically represented by "puppets."
So the Kurdish government – even if accused by some sources to have favored the rejecting, on July 22, of the law which included Article 50 to postpone any decision on the future of Kirkuk - published on the website of the Kurdistan Region Presidency, an appeal to Iraqi parliament to find a solution for a just political representation of minorities.
"A black cloud in a good day for Iraq and democracy" has defined the issue Staffan De Mistura, Special Envoy of the United Nations in Iraq who, in a press conference with the President of parliament Mahmoud Al Mashadani, declared the United Nations commitment to consultation with the Independent High Electoral Commission to find a solution to the problem of representation of minorities.
To these voices the one of the Patriarch was added in the letter that defined the revoke of Article 50 as "unjust" as for the participation of Christians in the society of the new democratic Iraq.
It’s difficult to say how the appeal of the Chaldean Patriarchate will influence the decisions of Parliament. A change of direction could be foreseeable if all the Iraqi Christian components would raise their voices. When, on May 2007, the Cardinal Delly spoke openly of the persecution of Iraqi Christians religious leaders joined him in his complaint and the suffering of the community returned to the spotlight of international media. Iraqi government cannot, if really wants to define its as a "path to democracy" ignore the demands and rights of minorities that gave so much to the history of Iraq and that could contribute to its rebirth.