Baghdad: Representatives of various minority groups are calling for the reintroduction of a proposal that would ensure their rights to membership and chairmanship of parliamentary committees. They are urging the Speaker of Parliament to reconsider this proposal, aiming to amend an article of the internal regulations to protect their rights and maintain national balances within the legislative body.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Representative Khalid Sido Azir, from the Yazidi community, addressed a press conference on Monday evening, highlighting the request made by representatives of the Christian, Yazidi, Sabean, and Faili communities. On February 9, 2026, they submitted a proposal to amend Article 72 of the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure. The amendment would allow each community representative to nominate themselves for committee membership or chairmanship, with membership allocations based on the community representative’s preference. Additionally, the proposal entitles representatives to ser
ve on specific committees, including those on Migration and Displacement, Endowments, Tribal Affairs, and Martyrs and Political Prisoners.

Khalid Sido Azir further stated that the proposal had received approval from both the First Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament. However, the Speaker’s rejection of the proposal, ignoring his deputies’ approval, raised concerns among the communities about marginalization and the neglect of their rights within the parliamentary framework.