Three options for political blocs on elections law- MP

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: An Iraqi lawmaker on Sunday said that three options are available for political blocs negotiating the long-disputed elections law, adding a consensus has not been reached on the matter thus far. The first option is to vote on all proposals to decide which one is to proceed to implementation, Mohammad Salman from the Dialogue Council told IraqiNews.com news agency. The second is to return to the old law and the closed list system, Salman noted. The third option, according to Salman, is to postpone the elections for at least one legislative term to provide an opportunity for further negotiations. “The third option is the most likely route,” Salman said, arguing that it is better to put off elections than to have corrupt elections. Throughout the past week, the Iraqi Parliament has failed to pass the elections bill due to differences over the status of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk in the law on parliamentary elections, scheduled to be held on January 16, 2010. SS (P) 1