Iraqi Par’l studies putting off long-awaited local polls-statement

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Parliament’s Committee of Regions and Provinces on Wednesday said it held meetings with the independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to study postponing the local elections. “The IHEC called for the Committee of Regions and Provinces to request postponing the local elections for technical reasons,” a Parliament statement cited MP Ridha Jawad Taqqi as saying. MP Jalal al-Din al-Sagheer suggested “authorizing the IHEC to set a time for local elections provided that it will not exceed one month and for technical reasons only.” Iraq’s Parliament on September 24 approved a long-delayed law to allow provincial elections to go ahead, but lawmakers scrapped a key clause that would have guaranteed seats for Christians and other minorities. Meanwhile, the statement noted MP Ahmed al-Massoudi rejected postponing elections time, considering the measure as “violating the provincial elections law.” Legislator Hassan al-Shammari suggested “putting off elections until April to make amendments to the provincial elections law.” While MP Humam Hamoudi pointed out “the idea of postponing elections was raised after presenting a proposal to run a referendum on constitutional amendments at the same time as the provincial elections, particularly the amendments are close to be finalised.” The IHEC on Wednesday decided to extend the time for registering candidates list to Sunday. Iraq’s Parliament has set a January 31 deadline for elections in 14 provinces, excluding the three Kurdish provinces and the disputed oil-rich province of Kirkuk. Leaders of Iraq’s minority’s communities claimed the law did not provide for their representation in the councils that would be formed after the vote. AM (S)/SR 1