Baghdad, November 19: Iraq’s Sunni Arab vice president has rejected part of a key election law, throwing the January vote and a planned US troop drawdown into question.
Tariq al-Hashemi said on Wednesday he is sending part of the law back to parliament to be amended. He wants more seats allocated for Iraqis living abroad, most of whom are Sunni Arabs.
It was not immediately clear when parliament would take up the issue.
Lawmakers haggled for weeks over the election legislation before finally passing it on November 8.
Now, al-Hashemi’s move threatens to undermine Iraq’s fledgling democracy and derail Washington’s plans to withdraw all combat troops by the end of August. US commanders have tied the move to the national vote.
–PTI