Kakai minority scores two seats in Iraqi parliament
After years of absence, two female candidates from the Kakai minority managed to reach the Iraqi parliament following the fifth Iraqi legislative elections held on Oct. 10 for the provinces of Ninevah and Kirkuk.
The Kakais eagerly kept a close eye on the results of the October parliamentary elections, which represented a pivotal turn for the minority since it was the first time in Iraq's history that two female Kakai candidates secured seats in parliament.
No Kakai has ever made it to parliament since the first parliamentary session in 2005, especially since no quota has been allocated to this community, as is the case with other Iraqi minorities.
Iraq's parliamentary elections law allocated nine seats for religious and ethnic minorities within the quota system: five seats for Christians, and one seat each for Yazidis, Sabians, Shabaks and Feyli Kurds. But no seats were allotted to Kakais.
Kakais are one of the ancient components of Mesopotamia. About 25,000 Kakais currently live in several regions in northern Iraq, specifically in Ninevah, Kirkuk, Diyala and Halabja.
