Baghdad - Iraq's parliament has passed a long-delayed electoral law on Sunday, paving the way for nationwide elections. The Kurdish demand for elections in Kirkuk was approved by the parliament.
The key hurdle to the law's passage was how to apportion votes in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, a city claimed by both Arabs and Kurds reported AP. The majority of the parliament voted for including Kirkuk in the elections in the new law, wrote Iraqi MP Haidar al-Abadi.
Some thought an agreement would be reached on Saturday, but Iraqi Kurdish MP Mahmoud Othman said the election law took longer than they thought. Al-Abadi said they vote was delayed to convince other politicians.
The UN plan for more seats for Turkmen and Arabs in Kirkuk was rejected and the elections will go forward as planed on January 16 (Photo: Rudaw).
© Rudaw
