Stockholm (AINA) -- Five Assyrians have been elected to serve in the Riksdag, the Swedish National Parliament. Elections were held on September 14. Three are from the Social Democratic Party, Mr. Yilmaz Kerimo, Mr. Emmanuel Oz and Mr. Ibrahim Baylan. Mr. Robert Hannah is from the Liberal Party Folkpartiet. Mr. Robert Halef is from the Christian Democrats party.

Robert Hannah is the first Assyrian born in Iraq to become a member of the Swedish parliament.

Two more Swedish-Assyrians, Mr Sait Yildiz from the Left Party Vansterpartiet and Mr. Ninos Maraha from the Folkpartiet were also running for office but did not win.

The number of politically active Assyrians in Sweden has been rising steadily and hundreds of Assyrians are today elected to municipal offices across Sweden.

In their home countries Assyrians were often excluded from politics. In Turkey today there is only one Assyrian in national parliament, Mr. Erol Dora from the BDP party. In Iraq there are five seats reserved for Assyrians.