PUK Election Agency: Conspiracy was committed against Kurds in Kirkuk

P.U.K 01:38 PM - 2023-03-28

Voting.

The third electoral law amendment, which contains provisions that are in violation of the Iraqi constitution, was passed by the Iraqi parliament, prompting a statement from the head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's (PUK) Election Agency.

The third amendment to the electoral law of the Iraqi parliament and provincial councils, which consists of 15 articles, was adopted on Monday, March 27, 2023, by a majority vote of the 189 MPs in attendance. The PUK faction abstained from voting on the measure because it contained items that did not benefit Kurds.

The statement of the head of the PUK Election Agency read as the following:

A conspiracy was committed against the Kurds in Kirkuk 

In addition to being a blatant violation of the Iraqi constitution, the passing of this legislation is part of a plot to deny Kirkuk's Kurds the right to vote.

Article 140 of the Constitution will no longer have a meaning

We would like to clarify to everyone why the following constitutional provisions render this amendment wholly invalid:

1. Iraqis are equal before the law without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, creed, belief, opinion, or economic or social status, according to Article 14 of the Permanent Constitution of Iraq.

Therefore, it is against this constitutional clause and a blatant breach to grant Kirkuk a special status and to separate it from other provinces.

2. "Equality of opportunities is a protected right of all Iraqis, and the state shall take the appropriate measures to achieve this," according to Article 16 of the Permanent Constitution of Iraq.

Kirkuki Kurds' right to vote is in danger

According to the law, one of the criteria for voting is the 1957 census, although only people who live within Kirkuk's present administrative boundaries are eligible to vote. As a result, the original Kirkuk voters in the 1957 Kirkuk-adjacent Chamchamal, Kalar, Kafri, and Khurmatu are in danger of losing their right to vote for the Kirkuk provincial council.

3. People, including males and females, have the right to engage in public affairs and the right to exercise their political rights, including the right to vote, elect, and run for elections, according to Article 20 of the Permanent Constitution of Iraq.

However, the law has denied this right to numerous Kirkuk natives.

4. The law also violates Article 140 of the permanent Constitution of Iraq because of a provision that gives the right to vote in Kirkuk to those who had food forms in Kirkuk before 2003, which refers to resettled Arabs who are not few in numbers. The number of those who voluntarily carried out the Article 140 procedure consists of 28,000 resettled Arab families, of which 11,000 families were compensated according to the article. This invalidates the basis of the 1957 census and gives imports the right to vote, leaving no meaning for Article 140.

The PUK is adamant about sticking to its objectives and strategies in defending Kirkuk and all the unjustly split Kurdish lands. It will use every constitutional, legal, and political avenue available to defend the resilient Kirkuki people.



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