Speaker Al-Halbousi halts minority representation reform

Shafaq News- Baghdad

A proposal to secure the rights of Yazidis, Feyli Kurds, Christians, and Mandaeans Sabeans in Iraq’s parliamentary committees was blocked by Parliament Speaker Haibet Al-Halbousi, even though his deputies had approved it, an Iraqi MP reported on Tuesday.

At a press conference, Yazidi lawmaker Khalid Sido noted that he presented the proposal on February 9, seeking to amend Article 72 of the parliamentary bylaws. The amendment would allow minority representatives to nominate themselves for committee membership or leadership, ensuring their assignments reflect their choices.

The plan also aimed to give minority representatives access to key committees, including Migration and Displaced Persons, Endowments, Tribes, and Martyrs and Political Prisoners.

“Approval from the first deputy speaker and the deputy speaker was already secured, yet the speaker rejected it, limiting minority participation,” Sido added, calling for reconsideration of the proposal. He further noted that restricting minority representatives could weaken their ability to protect community interests and maintain national balance within the legislature.

MP Abdullah Hamed of the Badr Organization, previously told Shafaq News that 21 of 26 parliamentary committees have agreed membership, leaving five, including Security and Defense and Health, without consensus.