Speaker reveals initial agreement on election law
December 6, 2009 - 11:48:37
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraqi Parliament Speaker Iyad al-Samarraie has revealed an initial agreement among political blocs on the controversial electoral law, adding the council’s leadership is still waiting for the final stance of some parties.
This came during his reception in his Baghdad-based office of the first deputy speaker, Sheikh Khaled al-Atiya, MPs Hadi al-Aameri and Iyad al-Allawi and others.
“The version which is currently under discussion is almost identical to that before the law was first vetoed,” Samarraie noted.
Earlier today, the Iraqi Parliament resumed its extraordinary session to discuss the amendment to the election law, which has been vetoed by Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi.
The Parliament put off its Saturday (Nov. 5) session until today due to the absence of the quorum. Only 113 lawmakers attended the session, which required a quorum of 138.
Political bloc heads are seeking solutions to the controversial electoral law in an attempt to appease all parties.
On Nov. 23, the Iraqi Parliament voted in favor of two proposals that had been submitted by political bloc leaders.
The first proposal stipulates that voters outside Iraq should be able to vote for candidates in their own provinces, as if they were still at home. The second states that populations in Iraqi provinces, which act as constituencies, should be based on food ration data from 2005, when the last polls were held. An increase rate of 2.8 percent per year will be added.
The vote came after Sunni Vice President Hashemi had vetoed the law, ordering it back to the Parliament.
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