Next year elections made by Iraqis – IHEC

Iraq-IHEC BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The head of the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) said on Thursday that the provincial councils’ elections, which will be held early next year, differ from other elections, because their laws and programs were made by Iraqis. Speaking at the second security conference held by the high security commission of elections in Baghdad, Farag al-Haydari told IraqiNews.com “the provincial councils elections which will be held next January 31 are different than other elections held in the past, because Iraqi put their laws and programs without any interference from the U.S. embassy and forces in Iraq.” “The formation of the IHEC was made by a decision of the U.S. civil ruler Paul Premer,” he noted. He said that there are 14800 candidates, 36 alliances, 366 single political blocs, 11 blocs for minorities. On September 24, the Iraqi Parliament 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. 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. SH (S)/SR 1