The Iraqi parliament has partially resolved the dispute on multiple districts in the electoral law that was approved late last year after the eruption of mass protests.
Saturday’s move was objected by some political blocs, mainly Hadi al-Ameri’s Fatah bloc, Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition, Kurdistan Islamic Union’s MPs, the New Generation movement and some Nineveh lawmakers.
Despite their objections, the parliament voted on the legal committee’s proposal, which stipulates distributing the number of districts in each governorate in line with the number of seats assigned to the women's quota in the governorate.
Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi announced that the legislature would remain in session until MPs vote on a electoral law that meets the aspirations of the masses.
The government also stressed willingness to hold parliamentary elections as announced by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on June 6, 2021.
Abdelhussein Hindawi, Kadhimi’s advisor on elections, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Premier has repeatedly announced that he was willing to hold snap polls.
“Accordingly, several major decisions have been taken,” he added. They include directing all ministries to respond immediately and within 48 hours to all requests from the Electoral Commission, as well as instructing the Ministry of Finance to transfer election-related funds.
Hindawi pointed out that among the measures are the formations of higher ministerial committees, one of which aims to accelerate the completion of the biometric data for voters, another to prepare the electoral warehouses and polling stations and a third to ensure a secure environment for voters.
“The government is putting relentless efforts along with the parliament to finalize the electoral law,” he stressed, adding that it is also coordinating with the Electoral Commission, the United Nations mission and other international organizations.
