Al-Halbousi: the election law needs the president’s signature

Shafaq News / The State of Law coalition led by Nuri al-Maliki stated, on Tuesday, that Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi refuses to include the election law on the parliament’s agenda for the purpose of voting on its amendment.

The MP for the coalition, Kata’a al-Rikabi, told Shafaq News agency, "The Speaker of Parliament says that the election law was voted on in a previous session and that it cannot be re-voted on again, except after approval of the Presidency of the Republic and a publication in the Official Gazette."

He added that "Al-Halbousi informed the political forces that the election law can be presented to amend some of its paragraphs after the presidency of the republic signs the law," indicating that "this can be done by submitting a request to the Presidency of Parliament signed by 100."

The Iraqi Council of Representatives had passed part of a new law for parliamentary elections late last year, under unprecedented pressure from popular protests.

However, the differences prevented the completion of the legislation of the law, as the differences focus on the adoption of districts division in each governorate, as well as the method of voting.

Article 15, paragraph 6 of the election law showed that the governorate shall have multiple electoral district.

Earlier, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi says his government will do its best to hold fair early elections under the new law in the middle of next year.