Election may shift politics in Iraq

CAIRO, July 7 (UPI) -- The provincial elections in Iraq will reconfigure the political map along party platforms, not sectarianism, an official with the Arab League said Monday.

Assistant Arab League Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ahmed Bin-Helli said in an interview with Voices of Iraq in Cairo that an Arab presence in the region would help the war-torn country recover from conflict.

"I believe the political map will be re-drawn after the elections. Therefore it will be important to have an Arab presence through diplomatic missions, delegations and investment, to support Iraq," he said.

The envoy said the political environment in Iraq suggested sectarian divisions were eroding to a point of solidarity ahead of the provincial elections slated for October.

"The political process needs to include all Iraqis from all over the country. The national project for building the new Iraq must be agreed upon by all sides," he said.

He emphasized this solidarity when speaking of the long-term security contract between Washington and Baghdad, saying the decision ultimately lies in the hands of the Iraqis.

"Iraq has the first and last word on this issue, and the Iraqi people are able to talk about means of building relations with the United States, and the presence or withdrawal of foreign troops," he said.