.Iraq paves way to elections
BAGHDAD -- Iraq's presidential council approved a law yesterday that paves the way for provincial elections, giving a major boost to U.S.-backed efforts to promote national reconciliation on the fifth anniversary of the war.
The move came after Vice-President Dick Cheney visited Baghdad Tuesday to press Iraqi leaders to take advantage of a lull in violence to make political progress.
Many Sunnis boycotted the January 2005 election in which Iraqis chose a parliament and provincial councils. The vote ushered in representational government, but it also gave majority Shiites and minority Kurds the bulk of power, including at the provincial level.
The U.S. hopes new elections, to be held by Oct. 1, would give the Sunnis more political power and thereby weaken the insurgency.
The main sticking point focused on whether local officials or the central government led by Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will have the right to ask parliament to fire provincial governors.
Shiite Vice-President Adel Abdul-Mahdi had objected to a provision that gave the power to the prime minister.
Abdul-Mahdi, a senior official in the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, the country's largest Shiite party, agreed to sign off on the law, according to Nasser al-Ani, a presidential council spokesman.
"This is a good, positive step to enhance national unity and defuse the political tension," al-Ani said.
The presidential council said, however, that it will work with the parliament and provincial councils to suggest possible amendments, which would have to be ratified by parliament. No time frame was set for the discussions.
Edmonton Sun
The move came after Vice-President Dick Cheney visited Baghdad Tuesday to press Iraqi leaders to take advantage of a lull in violence to make political progress.
Many Sunnis boycotted the January 2005 election in which Iraqis chose a parliament and provincial councils. The vote ushered in representational government, but it also gave majority Shiites and minority Kurds the bulk of power, including at the provincial level.
The U.S. hopes new elections, to be held by Oct. 1, would give the Sunnis more political power and thereby weaken the insurgency.
The main sticking point focused on whether local officials or the central government led by Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will have the right to ask parliament to fire provincial governors.
Shiite Vice-President Adel Abdul-Mahdi had objected to a provision that gave the power to the prime minister.
Abdul-Mahdi, a senior official in the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, the country's largest Shiite party, agreed to sign off on the law, according to Nasser al-Ani, a presidential council spokesman.
"This is a good, positive step to enhance national unity and defuse the political tension," al-Ani said.
The presidential council said, however, that it will work with the parliament and provincial councils to suggest possible amendments, which would have to be ratified by parliament. No time frame was set for the discussions.
Edmonton Sun
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