Shafaq News

Divided across rival alliances but converging on a shared political mission, Feyli Kurdish candidates are entering Iraq’s new parliament with influence that exceeds their limited numbers. Their rise comes at a time of intense political fragmentation — with competing Shia poles, divided Kurdish parties, and multiple Sunni alliances — giving smaller actors unexpected leverage.

For the Feylis, the question is whether representation spread across different blocs can be converted into a coordinated push for long-delayed rights, recognition, and justice.

A Community Pushing Beyond Geography and Quotas

Unlike other Kurdish representatives who operate mainly within the Kurdistan Region’s political framework, Feyli candidates campaigned across Baghdad, Diyala, Wasit, and other provinces — reflecting both demographic spread and a drive to move beyond quota-based politics and into national decision-making.

For years, Feyli Kurds had no guaranteed parliamentary seat. Until 2018, they lacked minority allocation despite the presence of quotas for Christians, Shabak, Yazidis, and Sabeans. The law was amended in March 2023, granting them a single national seat. Under the revised Article 15, minorities now vote in one nationwide constituency — meaning a voter in Basra can cast a ballot for a Feyli candidate in Wasit.

These amendments provided a legal opening for representation but did not resolve the challenge of building a cohesive political structure.

Read more: Genocide survivors: Feyli Kurds seek true political representation

A National Voice

Haidar Ali Abu Tara secured the Feyli quota seat with 17,174 votes on the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) list. He told Shafaq News he is “determined to follow [KDP] Leader Masoud Barzani’s guidance in serving the Iraqi people — of all components, ethnicities, and backgrounds — from Fao to Zakho.”

He outlined a program centered on institutional strength and political cohesion, with priorities that include “working to unify the voice and ranks of the Feyli community, which suffered greatly during the past decades and has yet to regain its legitimate rights,” alongside enhancing legislative and oversight performance.

His alignment with the KDP places him inside a major Kurdish power center while also carrying expectations that he will operate nationally. It inserts Feyli representation into the competitive KDP–Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) landscape, where minority outreach has become part of a broader parliamentary strategy.

Baghdad candidate Ali Shamel received 4,000 votes and may become the first alternate. He told Shafaq News, “Despite receiving congratulations from many, my victory is not yet confirmed,” noting that his total “may not qualify me to secure a seat in the next parliament and could place me as the first reserve.”

Running independently, Shamel welcomed the success of other Feyli candidates, stressing that parliament is “not a personal goal for me, but a way to serve Iraq through important legislation that benefits the country and supports the rights of marginalized groups.”

“Feyli MPs across different lists will represent Iraq well and will exert their utmost efforts in serving the nation.”

In Diyala, Nazik Ahmed won more than 7,000 votes on the Al-Azm Alliance list led by Muthanna al-Samarrai. She said her victory carries “a great responsibility to provide services to Diyala, which suffers from deteriorating health conditions and other essential sectors,” while stressing that parliamentary duty “does not stop at serving Diyala or the Kurdish community alone, but extends to serving Iraq and all Iraqis in a manner that meets public expectations.”

She underscored the centrality of legislative and oversight roles in supporting stability and development. Her presence within Al-Azm highlights Sunni alliances’ interest in minority candidates, particularly in contested areas like Diyala, where political legitimacy depends on cross-community appeal.

Feyli MPs now sit within different alliances — including the KDP, Al-Azm, and independent lists — giving them access to varied negotiation channels. However, this diversity also underscores the absence of a unified political structure.

Before the elections, Feyli affairs adviser Fouad Ali Akbar noted that “political money is unequal and therefore candidates do not compete fairly,” adding that Feyli political discourse is typically national in tone, rooted in a history of suffering and a search for identity. He warned that the younger generation “does not have a complete understanding of the Feylis’ suffering,” calling for renewed community awareness.

Read more: Stateless in their homeland: The unending exile of Iraq’s Feyli Kurds

Against this background, the central challenge emerges: Can Feyli representatives turn moral legitimacy into real political leverage?

The Regional Layer: Identity, Influence, and Strategic Competition

Feylis’ mixed Kurdish–Shia identity places them at a political crossroads involving Baghdad, Erbil, and Tehran.

Iran maintains historical and social ties with Feyli communities, particularly those deported during the Baath era. Its influence over Iraq’s Shia parties indirectly affects how minority files move in parliament, especially for Feyli MPs aligned with the Shiite Coordination Framework.

For the KDP, Feyli representation contributes to a broader push to expand Kurdish influence in Baghdad. A successful Feyli figure strengthens the party’s narrative of national outreach and intensifies competition with the PUK, which has long cultivated relationships with minority communities.

Sunni alliances such as Al-Azm utilize minority candidates to signal moderation and broaden their coalition in mixed provinces like Diyala, giving Feyli figures access to political arenas typically dominated by local tribal actors.

Together, these dynamics place Feyli MPs at the center of overlapping political contests. Their effectiveness will depend on balancing community priorities with the expectations of the alliances that backed them.

The Unfinished Files That Will Define Their Work

Baath-era crimes remain the core of the Feyli legislative agenda. Nearly half a million were deported, tens of thousands lost citizenship, and over 15,000 young men remain missing. Despite the formal recognition of genocide, files related to citizenship, compensation, missing persons, property restitution, and political representation remain unresolved.

These dossiers require legislative coordination and committee influence. The Legal Committee handles citizenship and reparations, while the Human Rights Committee oversees missing-persons cases and mass-grave investigations.

Past parliaments failed to advance these files largely because major blocs allocated political capital elsewhere. To avoid a repeat, Feyli MPs must secure space in key committees or build alliances with members who hold those seats.

Success will depend on coordinated efforts. Their presence across multiple alliances gives them broad access, but without internal coordination, larger blocs could absorb their agenda symbolically without delivering concrete outcomes.

What the Next Parliamentary Term Could Look Like

The new parliament offers both opportunity and risk for Feyli representation. Several trajectories are possible:

1. Forming a cross-party Feyli caucus

A small but coordinated caucus focused on core files — citizenship, compensation, missing persons — could gain leverage amid bloc fragmentation.

2. Competing blocs may pull Feyli MPs in different directions

The KDP will expect its Feyli representative to reinforce Kurdish influence.

Sunni alliances will seek loyalty in the federal–local power debates.

Without early coordination, Feyli's priorities may be diluted.

3. Committee influence will determine real outcomes

Access to the Legal, Human Rights, Finance, and Migration committees will shape progress on long-stalled files. Without committee roles, movement will depend on larger blocs’ goodwill.

4. The risk: visibility without results

Feyli MPs could gain prominence inside their alliances yet fail to advance community files unless they secure concrete commitments within those blocs.

Read more: Honoring or ignoring? Feyli Kurds divided over Martyrs' Day designation

Ultimately, the next term will determine whether dispersed representation evolves into structured political power — or whether the Feyli cause remains acknowledged but not institutionalized. Their success depends on coordination, committee access, and strategic navigation of Iraq’s fractured parliamentary map.

Written and edited by Shafaq News staff.