Iraqi Christians pessimistic after vote

Many Christians boycotted recent elections in Iraq due to the hijacking of their minority representation seats by a hostile party. Some are believed to have given up on the electoral process altogether, while others no longer have the right to vote in the Muslim-majority country.

Due to their minority status, five of the Iraqi parliament’s 329 seats are reserved for Christians, but have been hijacked in the past by the Babylon Movement, a Chaldean Catholic party which purports to stand up for believers. But it is said by many Christians to be effectively a militant Shia Muslim party supported by Iran.

A member of Open Doors’ Middle East team told en that the movement has used an election loophole over many years to ensure non-believers vote for them in Christian seats, and they are also believed to have forced members of their militias to vote for them and paid others for support.

The election results were more promising this year than in 2021; Mohammed Shia al-Sudani remained prime minister after his party remained the largest with 46 seats, but the Babylon Movement only won two of the five allocated seats, less than the four they won four years previously. The remaining seats were won by independent Christians.

However, many Christians remain pessimistic. Asked about how widespread the election boycott was among Christians, the Open Doors contact said: “It is really hard to say because the Independent High Electoral Commission never shares rates based on religious groups. I’m not sure if we can say; around 50% or more maybe [and] this is for [a variety of] reasons.

“For example, many Christians have given up as they believe no change will take place with the same people in authority after 22 years since the fall of the country in 2003. Moreover, the Christians who left the country do not have the right to vote. Additionally, Christians who live in a province different to their province of birth can’t vote where they live and need to travel to their place of birth to vote.”