On Tuesday, March 6th 2018, the Iraqi Cabinet held its regular session headed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. The cabinet voted on a number of decisions including compensation for employment grades for those who left their jobs, retirees, or those discharged from their jobs from our Christian component. Voting on the decision came after previous approvals by the Prime Minister to compensate the employees of the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac and Armenian components, but the approval was not received because the decision remained with various ministries including the Ministry of Finance.

“We have submitted another request to the Prime Minister to take a decision in the Council of Ministers to include the financial allocations and employment grades in order to compensate those who left their jobs, were discharged or those who retired for the past years.” Said MP Imad Youkhana in a press release.

MP Youkhana encouraged our people who are qualified to take advantage of these decisions and to maintain their employment rights, stressing the readiness of Al Rafidain and ADM offices in the homeland and abroad to provide all the necessary facilities to achieve these benefits.

On March 5, 2018, MP Yonadam Kanna met with the delegation from United Nations Electoral Assistance Division, which is visiting Iraq to stand with the procedures and logistical preparations for the parliamentary elections that will take place on May 12th, 2018. During the meeting, they discussed the challenges and obstacles that must be addressed both in Iraq as well as in diaspora. The importance of electoral participation amongst communities outside of Iraq was widely discussed and the importance of making decisions and procedures to facilitate their full participation and provide resources to freely vote without hardships or exploitation. In addition the two parties discussed the Iraqi political status post ISIS. The United Nations delegation was represented by Mr. Zoran Trajkovski, Chief of Staff of the Political Affairs Section, Election Support Department; Mr. Axel Winman, Head of the Iraqi Political Affairs Department in the Middle East and West Asia Department; and Pascal Rossi, Isabella Vitulani, and Najya Hashmi: Elections Affairs Specialists in the United Nations.

MP Imad Youkhana, ADM Political Bureau member, met with Iraqi Prime Minister Dr. Haider al-Abadi. During the meeting the two discussed the budget for 2018, and its importance in relation to implementation of the government’s plans to serve Iraqi citizens as well as its positive effects on political and security stability.

MP Imad Youkhana discussed the status of our Assyrian Chaldean Syriac people, specifically in the Nineveh Plain, and stressed the importance of completely imposing the rule of law on the rest of the Nineveh Plain towns.

MP Imad Youkhana also called for urgency in paying attention to infrastructure and services, especially electricity and compensating affected people. He spoke on finding solutions to the problems of demographic changes which ensure the privacy of each region with the continuation of coexistence through the fulfilment of the decision of establishing the Nineveh Plain Province. Discussion included the creation of new municipal sections for the common components in the region, and to activate all the previous decisions which aim to benefit the region and its people.

In addition, MP Youkhana stressed the importance of continuing to provide necessary support to the Nineveh Plain Protection Units (NPU) in accordance to the huge tasks entrusted to them. Lastly, MP Youkhana stressed the importance of creating suitable conditions for holding fair elections.