国产热热热精品,亚洲视频久久】日韩,三级婷婷在线久久,99人妻精品视频,精品九热人人肉肉在线,AV东京热一区二区,91po在线视频观看,久久激情宗合,青青草黄色手机视频

WORLD> Middle East
Iraq vote may be delayed, election head warns
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-11-05 04:02

BAGHDAD: The official charged with carrying out Iraq's crucial January polls warned Wednesday that they will be delayed if parliament doesn't approve a key electoral bill.

Any delay in the January 16 elections could plunge Iraq into a crisis, undermining the government and leading to instability just as American troops are preparing to withdraw, a process that's scheduled to ramp up after the vote.

Election Commission Chairman Faraj al-Haidari said Parliament must approve a new electoral law when it convenes on Thursday, otherwise the January 16 polls will be delayed.

Related readings:
Iraq vote may be delayed, election head warns Obama promises to keep deadline of withdrawal from Iraq
Iraq vote may be delayed, election head warns Suicide truck bomb destroys key bridge in western Iraq
Iraq vote may be delayed, election head warns US speeds Iraq withdrawal; 4,000 more headed home
Iraq vote may be delayed, election head warns Lull in Iraq violence sparks wedding storm

Iraq vote may be delayed, election head warns US military closes largest detention camp in Iraq

Iraqi lawmakers have been arguing for weeks over the election law, which is needed to implement the vote. The key stumbling block has been who should be allowed to vote in Kirkuk, a disputed oil-rich city north of Baghdad that is claimed by both Kurds and Arabs.

Al-Haidari said he warned the legislators that if they don't approve the election law by the end of Thursday, the vote will not happen on January 16.

"We informed the parliament that if the election law is not legislated within 48 hours, it would be difficult and impossible to carry out the elections," al-Haidari told The Associated Press.

Kirkuk has been a source of controversy for decades. Under former leader Saddam Hussein, tens of thousands of Kurds were forcibly displaced under a plan to make Kirkuk predominantly Arab. After the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, many Kurds returned but now other groups claim there are even more Kurds than before Saddam evicted them.

For the Kurds, Kirkuk has an extremely symbolic importance, and they consider it their "Jerusalem." But the Arab-led central government vehemently opposes anything that would remove Kirkuk from its control.

Money also comes into play because the region is home to vast oil fields. A referendum on the city's future, required by the constitution, has been repeatedly postponed.

The immediate question lawmakers have been wrestling with is who will be able to vote in Kirkuk when the election goes forward. Kurds generally have favored using a 2009 voter registry, which likely reflects the Kurdish population growth. Arabs generally prefer a 2004 voter registry, when the Kurdish population was not as large in Kirkuk.

   Previous page 1 2 Next Page  

客服| 夏邑县| 孟津县| 辽宁省| 鄂尔多斯市| 东丰县| 华池县| 舞阳县| 定州市| 浠水县| 新闻| 资阳市| 徐州市| 井研县| 中阳县| 津市市| 陵水| 阜南县| 化隆| 界首市| 大英县| 云林县| 吉安市| 榕江县| 霍林郭勒市| 凤凰县| 庆阳市| 井陉县| 霍邱县| 阳信县| 祥云县| 苗栗县| 探索| 丹东市| 抚远县| 许昌县| 武宣县| 麦盖提县| 宣化县| 突泉县| 霍林郭勒市|