British report says Fayli Kurds remain tied to major blocs

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A Britain-based report by Amwaj said Fayli Kurds have made gains in representation in Iraq’s parliament, but remain under the influence of major political blocs in political, economic and security affairs. The report said long-running disputes between Baghdad and Erbil, along with years of abuses under the former Baath regime, have deepened those pressures. It said the situation has left Fayli Kurds facing obstacles in building an independent political position. In the latest elections, Kurdistan Democratic Party candidate Haydar Ali Fayli won the single seat reserved for Fayli Kurds, according to the report. It said the result was shaped largely by the party’s own organizational backing. The report also said Iraq’s election law allows minority quota seats to be opened to all eligible candidates, a system that has drawn complaints that the seats are often taken by candidates linked to major Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni parties. It added that eight of the nine minority seats went to candidates closely associated with those parties, and that Faylis have struggled to form a unified line on citizenship restoration, compensation and institutional representation.