Minorities in Iraq

CIGI is committed to the preservation and promotion of good governance; a central feature, of course, is the inclusion and respect of the multitude of identities and cultures found within a state. [...] Despite their significant cultural and intellectual contributions to the diversity and prosperity of the communities in which they reside, minority groups are the focus of much of contemporary conflict in the Middle East. [...] In this context, the debate about Article 50 of the Iraqi Constitution has been a flashpoint for anxieties relating to the place of minorities in the Iraqi political system and society. [...] Article 50 provided for minimum representation of minorities in elected positions to the provincial governments; it was removed from the provincial election laws in the lead-up to the referendum to ratify the law. [...] This atmosphere is complicated by two emerging trends: 1. The ongoing and unsustainable fragmentation within the political and social arena has reached a point where it is impossible to even identify all the actors; and 2. the narrow focus of the major parties on consolidating their power bases rather than adhering to a real national process of reconciliation, the only guarantee for the future of