lawmakers in Iraqi Parliament are gathered today July 22 to vote on Kurdish language as the second official language in Iraq, a Kurdish lawmaker said.

All political fractions in Iraqi parliament reportedly gathered to vote on a language draft that asks for recognition and implementing of Kurdish language as the second official language in Iraq.

“The draft was given to the parliament earlier and today we suppose to vote for it. Almost all political factions within Iraqi parliament have consensus on the issue. We are so optimistic to ratify and implement the Kurdish language draft today” Moayed Tayeb, the spokesperson of the Kurdistan List in Iraqi parliament told Peyamner News Agency.

Language has been a site of struggle since the establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government in 1992. Since the formation of the Iraqi state, Kurds demanded the officialization of the Kurdish language and its equality with Arabic. This was a struggle between the Kurds and the state.