Christian deputies of the Babylon Bloc in the Iraqi Parliament responded to the recent memorandum submitted by a group of so-called parties affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Erbil, claiming to represent the Christian component.

"We bear the historical responsibility that our people have entrusted us with through the democratic process and parliamentary representation via component seats. We find it necessary to clarify the facts to our people with full transparency, from the standpoint of the strength of law and legitimate representation, away from any favoritism or influence.

Firstly:

Regarding the allegations made in their press conference in Erbil about the presence of an armed militia in Nineveh, we announce that our deputies will take the necessary legal measures to file an official complaint against these allegations to clarify who is meant by the term 'militia.' The security forces present in Nineveh operate under the umbrella of the Iraqi government and the command of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Therefore, these allegations represent a deliberate distortion of official forces responsible for maintaining security in these areas.

Secondly:

The bloc is surprised by the presence of Ribwar Hadi, Chairman of the Legal Committee in the Parliament, representing the Kurdistan Democratic Party, at this press conference. We will officially inquire about the reasons for his participation in a conference where Iraqi security forces were described as 'militias.' As a member of the KDP, we are driven to question the intentions of this party in interfering with the component seats!

Thirdly:

We affirm that any request to amend the Iraqi electoral laws must stem from an independent national will, not from parties driven by the interests of the ruling party in Erbil. The interest of our Christian people should be the basis for any electoral amendment, not the interest of a party trying to control the component seats as it did for the past two decades through the same electoral law it agreed upon when it dominated these seats and now rejects after losing this influence and its candidates in the elections.

Fourthly:

The movement confirms that it will resort to the Iraqi judiciary to legally hold accountable those who attempt to harm and exploit the interests of our people for their benefit. Our judiciary will have the final say in holding accountable those who try to push an agenda that affects the Christian presence in their homeland, and they will not be able to impose another extermination as they did previously. We point out that all previous attempts to change the electoral law for component seats have been rejected by the Iraqi judiciary and specialized courts as unconstitutional and illegal. The component seats are to ensure the representation of the component, not to isolate the component from others and push it towards separation. The principle of isolating the component is categorically rejected by the Iraqi constitution.

Fifthly:

We in the Babylon Bloc understand well the slogans raised by the ruling party in Erbil to promote the myth of coexistence and attention to the rights of components, while it is the same party that has been confiscating the freedom and legitimate rights of components since its inception. We ask the international community: What did the militias calling themselves protectors of the components do in Nahla, Aqra, Ankawa, and Dohuk? We also demand the international community hold this party accountable for its stance when the terrorist organization advanced towards Nineveh and occupied the areas of the components. Did it really protect them? Or did it leave them to the usurpers?

History bears witness, but the propaganda made by the party with the money of the Iraqi people is temporary and fleeting because it is the lie of the age.

All parties and individuals trying to invest in the lie of the presence of militias in Nineveh are based in Erbil and have no connection to Nineveh.

We understand well that those who lived under the umbrella of those who tried to steal the rights of our people under the pretext of representing them in the past have been permanently rejected by our people.

Finally, we in the Babylon Bloc do not oppose anyone, but at the same time, we will not accept anyone infringing on the rights of our people. We will continue to work with all our might to protect the rights of our Christian people and defend their free democratic representation away from any political pressures or interventions. We will not allow the Christian quota to become a battlefield for party conflicts."