Iraq's Hakim vague, optimistic on oil law

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- The leader of one of the most powerful Iraqi political parties said "good progress" has been made on the oil law, though he was short on details.

Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, the head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, was optimistic during two public appearances this week in Washington that one year more of U.N.-mandated forces followed by a U.S.-Iraq bilateral security agreement will continue the recent reduction of violence in Iraq.

Hakim, whose party holds the most seats in Parliament and is a vital component of the ruling United Iraqi Alliance, also said creating more regions in Iraq will prevent conflict and called for the implementation of a controversial referendum over disputed oil-rich territories in the north, near the Iraqi Kurdistan region. He avoided specifics, however.

In his remarks at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Hakim said, "We have accomplished a good part of" national reconciliation, and "we have made good progress on important laws like the law of oil and gas."

The oil law, however, is stuck in Parliament's energy committee and a resolution between the central government and Kurdistan appears far away. When asked to explain "good progress," Hakim said the oil and other laws have either "already reached the Iraqi Parliament" or "are still being prepared."

"The Parliament should give its opinion about them during the next weeks or months," he said.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has upset Baghdad by moving ahead on its oil sector without an oil law, passing a regional law and signing oil deals that the national Oil Ministry has called illegal.

When asked if he or his party would do anything about it, Hakim said: "There is still discussion in this regard … and God willing when the hydrocarbons legislation is passed, this is going to be solved."

The KRG-Baghdad row is seen as widening, however, preventing any progress on the oil law. The KRG, in fact, rejects the law the energy committee is looking at, instead insisting on the version it sent to the prime minister.

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Ben Lando, UPI Energy Editor

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(blando@upi.com)