RASC News Agency: Amid the unfolding elections of the French Exiled Parliament, seven Afghanistani refugees currently residing in France have declared their candidacies, entering a competitive political landscape that seeks to give voice to marginalized and displaced communities often overlooked both in their host countries and internationally. This diverse group includes three women Shakiba Dawood, Sayara Rahmani, and Fatima Haidari and four men Ruhullah Sediqullah, Inaamullah Samoon, Wasel Ishaqzai, and Mahdi Mow’oodi. Shakiba Dawood, an artist based in Paris since 2009, campaigns alongside Iranian journalist Sina Entesari. Dawood positions her candidacy as a mission to advocate for silenced demographics such as women, refugees, and ethnic minorities often excluded from political discourse. Drawing upon her lived migrant experience and artistic insight, she aspires to forge a vital conduit between the harsh realities faced by refugees and the corridors of power within French decision-making bodies.
Sayara Rahmani, who has lived in France since 2016, aligns herself with migration activist Ruhullah Sediqullah. Her platform prioritizes critical issues including language education, improved housing conditions, mental health support for migrants especially women and enhanced access to employment opportunities. Rahmani notably champions the official recognition of the Uzbek language in administrative migration processes, underscoring the ethnic and cultural heterogeneity of Afghanistani refugees, which remains frequently ignored both within Afghanistan and abroad. The French Exiled Parliament operates as an independent, civil society institution established to provide a political and social platform for individuals displaced from their homelands due to conflict, repression, or persecution. It seeks to echo the concerns, demands, and rights of refugees and exiles, amplifying their voices within France’s political arena and advocating for policies that address their unique challenges.
In this electoral cycle, 25 candidates from countries as diverse as Iran, Syria, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey, Palestine, Algeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and beyond, are competing. Eligible voters comprise refugees residing in France, who may cast their ballots online through the official website of the Parliament. Each voter is entitled to select one female and one male candidate, ensuring gender-balanced representation. The voting period will conclude on Friday, July 18, with final results scheduled for announcement the following day.
