BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's parliament Sunday night passed a long-delayed law necessary to hold nationwide elections, in a process that has been intensely watched over fears the holdup could delay the January contests and possibly delay the planned U.S. troop withdrawal.
The law's passage had been repeatedly delayed by sharp disagreements over how voting would take place in the northern oil-rich city of Kirkuk, claimed by both Arabs and Kurds and a major flashpoint in the country.
The lawmakers approved the bill after a tense daylong session during which U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill could be seen shuttling between various political factions, in a sign of how closely the United States was involved in the political debate.
"We congratulate members of the Council of Representatives for coming to agreement on the various difficult issues of considerable importance to Iraqis. With the passage of this law, the Iraqi people, through their representatives, have shown their desire to uphold democratic and consultative government," said Hill and General Ray Odierno, the highest-ranking U.S. military official in Iraq, in a statement after the vote.
The law passed with 141 votes, but it was not immediately known how many of the parliament's 275 members voted against the legislation or even attended the session. Low turnouts are common in Iraq's parliament, which often do not have enough people to form the necessary 138-person quorum.
It was not immediately clear whether the elections would go forward as planned on Jan. 16. The head of Iraq's independent High Electoral Commission, Faraj al-Haidari, said after the vote that once the legislation is approved by the president and his two vice presidents, the election commission will decide how many days are needed to hold the vote.
39° 