You are in > Home / Baghdad, Latest News, Lead Story, Politics / VP shrugs off media “hubbub” over election law veto

VP shrugs off media “hubbub” over election law veto

November 19, 2009 - 05:05:19

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi’s office on Thursday expressed astonishment over the media commotion regarding his recent veto against the law on elections, adding that was not the first law objected by Hashemi.

“We renew our astonishment over the media fuss regarding the vice president’s constitutional and legal right to veto the first article of the law on elections,” according to a press release by Hashemi’s media office as received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Mohammed Qaysi, a member of Hashemi’s media office, said this veto was not the first one to be used by the vice president and to have that veto endorsed by parliament.

“Vice President Hashemi had vetoed about 13 laws and articles ever since he assumed office as vice president,” Qaysi noted.

The first article of the law had to do with the quota of compensatory seats in addition to the fourth paragraph of Article 3 regarding the distribution of votes that did not win seats.

“This hubbub is on purpose because the issue involves the fate of expatriate Iraqis and minorities at home,” explained Qaysi.

He noted that the Presidential Board (PB)’s legal department has issued a statement on Wednesday in which it upheld the PB powers to veto laws and decisions in accordance with the constitution and the parliament’s internal statute.

AmR (S)

Print version