Patriarch Sako Urges Unified Christian Voice After Contested Iraqi Elections

Chaldean Patriarch Mar Louis Raphaël Sako has urged Iraq’s Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian community to unify their political voice following recent parliamentary elections in which Christian quota seats were influenced by major Shia and Kurdish blocs. Frustrated by what he describes as the ongoing manipulation of the Christian quota and the internal weakness of his own community, Mar Sako calls for the creation of an independent, clergy-free council composed of political parties, trustworthy MPs, activists, and experts from inside and outside Iraq. He argues that only a united front can secure fair political representation and pursue key goals such as reforming election laws, removing non-local militias from the Nineveh Plains, establishing a unified local administration, and enabling displaced Christians to return home. Emphasizing unity rooted in shared Christianity while respecting diversity, he acknowledges that it remains uncertain whether this appeal will gain broad support.