The Assyrian Mayor of Tel Kepe Mr. Basim Bello explains the real reason behind the decision to depose him. The City Council took the decision formally on August 3 after a hearing full of allegations on August 1, and it was confirmed by the Governor of Nineveh, the KDP member Bashar al-Keeki, on August 15. Mr. Bello clearly states that it is the KDP’s decision, because he and Fayez Mikha in Alqosh for years have rejected that their cities would be a part of KRG. The city council of Tel Kepe consists of 11 members, of which 8 are KDP members or sympathizers, only one of them is ethnically Kurd. Mr. Bello also says that he has a copy of a decision to depose him already on June 15, 2017, which is handwritten by the chairman of the City Council. It proves that all is about a political decision because the Barzani clan wish to replace Assyrian leaders opposing KRG policy with loyal ones. Last Thursday, although this was an official holiday because of the heat, the KDP forced all Muhtars of the area to sign a document which demands the area should be included in the upcoming KRG referendum on September 25. Mr. Bello has one month from he received the decision to reject it. If the Governor reject his application, he will go ahead to the court in Bagdad. Until that he remains in office, he says, very well aware of the case of Fayez Mikha in Alqosh who was replaced by an Assyrian KDP member, Lara Yousef Zara.
What we need now in this critical time, is to be honest with our national cause, a patriotic stand by all Assyrians in Iraq or in the Diaspora to defend our ancient land from being occupied, Mr. Bello adds – a clear message to Assyrian Parties who are acting with double standards.
Language: East Assyrian Sureth of Nineveh dialect (very close to that of Turabdin).