- Title: IRAQ: President Jalal Talbani thanks support for new election law
- Date: 8th December 2009
- Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (DECEMBER 7, 2009) (REUTERS) NEWS STAND
- Embargoed: 23rd December 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Iraq
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA8MDET9LGR8PB2MZG7T1D8M549
- Story Text: Iraqi President Jalal Talbani on Monday (December 7) congratulated Iraqi citizens and political parties for passing a law which is needed for election to be held next year, expressing his gratitude for those who supported Iraqis to overcome political crisis.
"We would like to congratulate Iraqis, political parties and the religious leaderships that contributed to reach solutions that are acceptable to all parties and worked to guarantee continuous of political process, we should thank those who supported and advised us ,especially, the mission of U.N. to Iraq." Talbani said in a televised address.
Talbani added that Iraqi political powers proved the dialogue is the best way to solve disagreements among Iraqis though the lack of political experience.
"Despite that, the political powers are lacking to experience in parliamentary work, but the experiment of preparation and approval election law proved that we made important steps to dedicate the idea of consensus and respect the other opinion, In addition to preferring the dialogue on the violence," Talbani added.
Iraq is likely to select Feb. 27 as the date for next year's general election after lawmakers overcame fierce disagreements over the distribution of seats officials in the presidency council said on Monday.
A late February election, although after the constitutional deadline for the ballot to be held, should not interfere with the U.S. military's plans to wrap up combat operations in Iraq next August ahead of a full withdrawal by 2012.
Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, whose veto of a law needed for the election to take place had thrown vote preparations into disarray, indicated to his colleagues on the three-person council that the Feb. 27 date suited him, a spokesman said.
Hashemi, a Sunni Arab, told President Jalal Talabani and Vice President Adel Abdul-Mehdi to issue a decree setting the election date, spokesman Ali al-Mashhadani said.
The parliamentary election comes at a critical juncture for Iraq as it emerges from years of sectarian slaughter triggered by the 2003 U.S. invasion and prepares to stand on its own feet as U.S. troops pull out.
The debate in Parliament over the law exposed how raw religious, sectarian and ethnic tensions remain in Iraq despite a sharp fall in overall violence in the past 18 months.
Hashemi vetoed the original election law because he said it did not give sufficient representation to Iraqis who fled overseas when their country exploded into bloodshed. Many of them are Sunnis.
Lawmakers from the majority Shi'ite and minority Kurd communities then joined forces to pass an amended election law that reduced the number of seats in Sunni areas, such as the volatile northern province of Nineveh.
As a result, Hashemi had been expected to veto the amended law as well.
But a last-minute deal between parliamentarians on Sunday night 10 minutes before the end of a deadline for Hashemi to cast a second veto rescued the election law and set the ballot back on track.
The agreement restored some seats to Sunni areas and also placated Kurdish complaints by giving their semi-autonomous northern provinces a handful more seats. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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