10 Kurdish Candidates from Different Parts of Kurdistan Win Seats in the Local Elections in Lower Saxony, Germany

In the local and municipal elections held in the German state of Lower Saxony, 10 Kurdish candidates originating from different cities and regions of Southern, Northern, and Western Kurdistan won the confidence of voters through four of the country’s major political parties. They have now become members of municipal councils in the cities of Wolfsburg, Oldenburg, Nienburg, Leer, and Braunschweig.

The Federation of Kurdish Associations in Germany published the results of the successful Kurdish candidates in the municipal elections in Lower Saxony. The successful candidates were distributed among the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Social Democratic Party (SPD), Greens (Grüne), and The Left (Linke), demonstrating the diverse political composition of the Kurdish community in Germany:

1. Salar Kirkuki, originally from the city of Kirkuk in Southern Kurdistan, was elected in the Detmerode district of Wolfsburg on the list of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
2. Zakaria Abdulkarim, originally from Northern Kurdistan, was elected in the northern and central districts of Wolfsburg on the CDU list.
3. Nojdar Saeed Abdo, originally from the village of Rkava and the Shariya community in Duhok Governorate (Southern Kurdistan), and a member of the Kurdish Yazidi community, was elected to the Oldenburg City Council on the list of the Greens (Grüne).
4. Dara Ali Hawal Bako, originally from the Khanke community in Duhok Governorate (Southern Kurdistan), and a member of the Kurdish Yazidi community, was elected to the Oldenburg City Council on the Greens list.
5. Leylan Duman, originally from Northern Kurdistan (the Mardin and Urfa regions) and a member of the Kurdish Yazidi community, was elected to the Oldenburg City Council on the list of The Left (Linke).
6. Gozel Tolan, originally from Northern Kurdistan (the Iluh and Batman regions) and a member of the Kurdish Yazidi community, was elected to the Oldenburg City Council on the SPD list.
7. Khalil Sheikh Hese, originally from the Sheikhan and Baadre areas of Southern Kurdistan and a member of the Kurdish Yazidi community, was elected to the Nienburg City Council on the SPD list.
8. Gulhat Demir, originally from Northern Kurdistan, was elected to the city council of Leer on the Linke list.
9. Hiyam Stölten, originally from Western Kurdistan (the Jazira region), was elected in the western district of Braunschweig on the SPD list.
10. Siver Ali, originally from Western Kurdistan, was elected in the western district of Wolfsburg on the CDU list.

Regarding their significant success in these elections, Dara Ali Hawal Bako, originally from the Khanke community in Duhok Governorate (Southern Kurdistan) and a member of the Kurdish Yazidi community, who was elected to the Oldenburg City Council on the Greens list, told the website of the Kurdish movement’s confederation:

“The election in Oldenburg is historic for us Kurdish Yazidis, because four of us were successful. Other cities are also hoping that at least one of their candidates will succeed. We have become stronger, and we promise that we will become a strong voice in the Oldenburg City Council.”

Dara said:

“Achieving this success was not easy; rather, it was very challenging and required a great deal of effort. But we thank Almighty God that we succeeded. The Kurdish people supported us, and we thank all those dedicated people who supported us in achieving this success.”

It is worth mentioning that Dara, who is now a member of the Oldenburg City Council, comes from a Kurdish and patriotic family. More than 20 members of his family were victims of the Anfal campaign.

Before answering the questions, I asked him to send us a photograph of himself with his father so that we could publish it, because Dara says:

“My father is a symbol of sacrifice and struggle for the just cause of his people. He follows a path in which more than 20 members of our family fell victim to the infamous Anfal campaign. Therefore, we were also proud to accept this request and publish the photograph, in recognition of a young Kurdish man from Kurdistan and his dedication and abilities.”

This broad success of Kurdish candidates is regarded as one of the most significant political developments for the Kurdish movement in Germany. Under German administrative law, municipalities have decision-making powers over fundamental issues such as the environment, housing provision, schools, and social services.

The state of Lower Saxony, particularly the city of Oldenburg and its surrounding areas, is known as one of the largest centers of settlement for Kurdish Yazidis and Kurdish migrants from different regions of Kurdistan in Germany. The election of their representatives from both the center-right and left-wing political camps creates a new opportunity to strengthen the voice of the Kurdish community within official institutions.