SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Turkmens living in the Kurdistan Region protest against the “manipulation” of their parliament seats in the Kurdistan by a certain political party.
“The present-day Turkmen representatives in the Kurdistan Region parliament do not represent our voice, because they are quite unaware about our concerns, problems, and shortcomings,” Adnan Jasim, a Turkmen living in Kurdistan’s Kifri said on Thursday.
“There are approximately 600 to 700 votes of Turkmens within the Kifri’s border therefore it’s our own right to have representation in the Kurdistan parliament, to be closely aware of our problems,” he added.
Meanwhile, Amanj Abdulrazaq, a well-known Turkmen figure and political observer stated that “The components seats have been unevenly divided on the Kurdistan Region geography.”
“The components have been manipulated in the interest of a certain party which is a huge grievance,” Abdulrazaq added.
“Those who represent the Turkmens have never paid a visit to Kifri where nearly 600 Turkmen voted for their representatives during the last election.”
Speaking on the overdue Kurdistan election the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) President Bafel Talabani earlier on Wednesday warned that if the “obstacles continue the election may never be held,” adding the PUK program is to let minorities represent themselves.
“Let’s listen to themselves [minorities] for this decision,” he added, referring to the issue of quota seats in the Kurdistan Region parliament.
“The components must truly represent themselves,” Talabani stressed, according to a separate statement on Tuesday.
The Kurdistan Region held parliamentary elections in September 2018. Parliamentary elections are held every four years in the Kurdistan Region. A minimum quota of 30% of seats in the 111-seat house is reserved for women and 11 seats for parties representing minorities.
