Sadrists welcome approving provinces law
Baghdad - Voices of Iraq
Thursday , 20 /03 /2008 Time 3:02:36
Baghdad, Mar 20, (VOI) - The Sadrist bloc on Thursday welcomed the recent decision taken by the presidential council to approve a draft law to hold provincial elections, asserting the decision was taken because of political and popular pressures.
“The Sadrist bloc welcomes approving the law by the Presidential Council,” Nassar al-Rubaei, head of the Sadrist bloc in the parliament, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq (VOI).
“The decision came due to political and popular pressures,” he underlined.
The three-member Presidential Council on Wednesday withdrew its objection to a law calling for provincial elections, temporarily defusing a dispute that erupted last month.
The move came two days after U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney visited Baghdad to press Iraqi leaders to overcome their differences and take advantage of a lull in violence to further political progress.
“The presidential council’s veto could cause a severe problem inside the parliament,” the Sadrist MP said.
“The Sadrists had said earlier that Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi made a big mistake when he vetoed the law,” al-Rubaei added.
“All Shiite political parties, including the Unified Iraqi Coalition, Fadhila party and the Sadrists, ask for approving the law,” he said, noting that the Supreme Islamic Council under the vice president was the only one who rejected it.
The implementation of the law, passed with high-pitched celebrations in early February, was delayed by the council on February 27, due to the objections raised by one of the council's members, Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi, a member of the powerful Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC).
The main sticking point focused on whether local officials or the central government currently led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will have the right to ask parliament to fire provincial governors.
For its part, the Presidential Council issued a statement saying that "there would be no changes to the law" read the statement received by Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI). The announcement noted the "Council had exercised its right to review the law, delaying its implementation, and that it would now take effect."
The shift in the Council's stance raises the possibility that elections could take place on Oct. 1, despite points of disagreement persisting.
The legislation was intended to correct electoral distortions that had suffered from disproportionate power in regions where many groups had been unwilling to participate in the political process or forced to not participate in local elections.
U.S. officials have repeatedly said that holding new local elections would be an important step forward in Iraqi politics.
AI
