PUK Spokesperson: PUK has Never Supported Cancelling Minority Seats

Kurdistan 01:19 PM - 2024-05-21

PUK Spokesperson Saadi Ahmed Pire.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) consistently advocates for the rights of minority communities in Kurdistan, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that these communities are genuinely represented in the Kurdistan Parliament. The PUK Spokesperson affirms their respect for the rulings of the Federal Court and the Electoral Judiciary Board and emphasises that the PUK has never supported any attempts to eliminate the seats of minority communities in the Kurdistan Parliament.

According to PUK Spokesperson Saadi Ahmed Pire, the PUK has never requested the removal of the quota seats of the minority communities in the Kurdistan Parliament.

"The PUK acknowledges and accepts the rulings of the Federal Court regarding the seats for the minority communities in the Kurdistan Parliament. However, we strongly advocate for the communities to be represented by their authentic and genuine representatives in the Kurdistan Parliament," Pire told PUKMEDIA.

The PUK insists on holding elections on schedule

"The PUK emphasises holding the Kurdistan parliamentary elections on the specified date as set by the President of the Kurdistan Region. We firmly believe that the Kurdistan Region requires a competent government and parliament, and this can only be accomplished through the conduction of elections," Pire stated.

The Judicial Board of the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has mandated the allocation of five parliamentary seats to the Kurdish minority populations, out of the 100 seats designated by the Federal Court for the Kurdistan Parliament. The five seats are distributed among both Turkmen and Christians.

The allocation of seats in the communities will be determined by the number of seats in the four constituencies, according to Jumana al-Ghalai, spokesperson for the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC).

Ghalai told PUKMEDIA that out of the total 38 seats in Sulaymaniyah, two will be specifically allocated for minority communities. Similarly, in Erbil, out of the 34 seats, two will be reserved for minority populations and in Duhok, one out of the 25 seats will be specifically designated for minority communities.


 
PUKMEDIA