UNAMI concerned about Iraq election law

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 07:09 GMT
http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News/1-38852-UNAMI-concerned-about-Iraq-election-law.html


While Parliament is due on Tuesday for the second read out of the electoral law amendment before the voting session on Thursday, calls poured in to adopt the open list amidst concerns of hindering the draft law passed by government to Parliament, thus adopting the closed list.

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Iraq Ad Melkert has voiced concern about the country’s election laws, saying they lack clarity just three months before parliamentary polls are slated to be held. Melkert proposed to delay the questioning of Independent High Electoral Commission members. “UNAMI believes that significant changes to the institutional set-up in IHEC would severely disrupt the ongoing electoral preparations to the point that it would not be possible to hold credible elections until a considerably later date”, he said.

In a statement to Al Hayat Newspaper, IHEC chairman Faraj Al Haydari stressed that any decision by the Parliament to remove the commission’s confidence or dismiss it would delay elections. The IHEC is working late and during holidays in preparation for elections, he added.

Parliament Speaker Iyad Al Samarraie denied secret ballot on the electoral law reiterating his support to the open list. After meeting with former Speaker Mahmoud Al Mashhadani, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki called not to delay elections for any reason whatsoever. He affirmed as well his support to the open list system.

Meanwhile, Kirkuk issue is still debated on the table. Legal committee member MP Ayman Al Assadi noted that the committee agreed during the last meeting on all provisions. Yet, Kirkuk issue spurred deep rows as Kurdistan Alliance is calling to consider the city as one District while Arabs and Turkmen are calling to divide it into four Districts. The final resort is to refer to the majority and voting, he added.

Read article in Arabic