Concessions needed for Iraqi elections

BAGHDAD, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- An Iraqi lawmaker Monday called for a spirit of accommodation when Parliament convenes Tuesday to consider the provincial elections law.

Hisham al-Ta'i, a Sunni lawmaker serving as chairman of a committee on provincial matters, said Parliament should push for agreements to ensure transparent elections take place by the end of the year, Voices of Iraq reported.

The Iraqi Parliament passed a law on provincial elections July 22, but the matter was swiftly rejected over provisions regarding the status of the city of Kirkuk.

Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution calls for a reversal of policies enacted by Saddam Hussein that sought to influence the Kurdish demographic in Kirkuk.

Shiite Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mehdi last week proposed using older versions of Iraqi laws to push elections through by the end of the year, but Ta'i rejected the measure.

"The old law did not represent all Iraqi constituents. … Therefore, it is illogical to use it as a legal and legislative reference for the provincial council elections," he said.

Iraqi lawmakers return from summer recess Tuesday, and the matter of provincial elections is expected to top their agenda.