Iraq election law snubbed on women's quota

BAGHDAD, July 25 (UPI) -- A lawmaker with the Shiite United Iraq Alliance said the provincial election law was rejected because of secret ballots and the lack of a quota for women.

Out of the 140 members present for the vote, 127 Iraqi lawmakers Wednesday passed legislation for the provincial council elections. Kurdish members, however, stormed out of the session, and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, also a Kurd, later rejected the measure.

There are 275 members of the Iraqi Parliament.

"The presidency objected to the secret balloting method," Hassan al-Sanid with the UIA told Voices of Iraq. "The presidency also objected the zero quota for women's votes on the grounds that the measure ran counter to the Iraqi Constitution."

Sanid also objected to a provision in the measure that called for the deployment of Iraqi troops to enforce security in the northern city of Kirkuk, saying it was a matter "the Parliament has no right to interfere in."

He indicated, however, that Parliament would take the matter up in session next week and hoped all parties would reach a consensus to move the law forward.