ERBIL () — The Suyana Christian Parliamentary Bloc in Iraq’s parliament on Saturday expressed concern over what it described as renewed interference in the political affairs of Iraq’s Christian community, strongly rejecting remarks by Qais al-Khazali, secretary-general of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq movement, regarding who should be considered an authentic Christian political representative.
In a statement issued on Sept. 12, the three-member Suyana bloc said interference in Christian political affairs had begun with remarks by leaders of the Sadiqoun parliamentary bloc and had continued with comments by Khazali concerning what he described as the political standing of certain Christian figures.
The bloc said such statements reflected a broader political approach rather than ordinary political opinion, arguing that Christians do not need certification from any outside political force to establish their authenticity or legitimacy as representatives of their community.
“Authentic Christians are those elected by Christians themselves, not those designated by political forces outside the community,” the statement said.
Suyana also challenged the logic of determining which Christian political figures or groups are considered legitimate based on their relationships with particular political leaders or parties outside the Christian community.
The bloc described such rhetoric as direct interference in the internal affairs of Iraq’s Christian community and said it did not serve the principle of national partnership.
Suyana said that those genuinely seeking to determine who represents Iraq’s Christians should support changes to the country’s electoral law and the establishment of a separate voter registry for Christian voters.
Under such a system, voting for the seats allocated to the Christian quota would be restricted to Christian citizens, allowing the community itself to determine its representatives, the bloc said.
The proposal touches on a longstanding controversy surrounding Iraq’s minority quota system. Christian quota seats are currently elected within the general electoral system, meaning that voters who are not members of the Christian community can also vote for candidates competing for those seats.
Christian political groups have repeatedly debated whether the system should instead rely on a dedicated Christian voter registry.
Suyana also addressed the position of the Minister of Migration and Displaced Persons, arguing that the ministry should be allocated to the bloc based on its parliamentary strength.
The bloc currently holds three of Iraq’s five Christian quota seats in parliament, and said this electoral result should be respected in negotiations over the distribution of government positions.
It called for its entitlement to the ministry to be recognized and rejected what it described as attempts to marginalize its parliamentary representation.
“We respect partnership and consultation with our partners, but we reject guardianship and interference in the internal affairs of our community,” the statement said. “The decisions of Christians belong only to Christians, and their entitlements are not subject to compromise or categorization.”
Suyana was formed following Iraq’s 2025 parliamentary elections by three Christian lawmakers: Kaldo Ramzi Oghanna, who won the Christian quota seat in Erbil; Sami Oshana Korkis, who won the seat in Duhok; and Imad Youkhanna, who won the Christian quota seat in Kirkuk.
The three Suyana lawmakers hold three of the five Christian quota seats in Iraq’s 329-member parliament. The remaining two Christian quota seats are held by lawmakers associated with the Babylon Movement.
The bloc has in recent months emphasized greater Christian participation in state institutions and political decision-making, as well as the protection of the demographic and cultural identity of Christian areas, particularly the Nineveh Plains.
The dispute comes amid wider debate among Iraq’s Christian political groups over representation, the minority quota system and the role of larger political parties in determining the outcome of minority seats.
Suyana’s latest statement places the bloc at the center of that debate, insisting that Christian political representation should ultimately be determined by the community itself rather than by outside political forces.
