ACE Electoral Knowledge Network

News

• Nov 19, 2009: Iraq VP vetoes the new election law, BBC News (2009) The Sunni Vice President of Iraq, Tariq al-Hashemi vetoed article 1 of the electoral law, demanding the representation of displaced people in the Iraqi parliament to increase to 15%. This action puts into doubt the upcoming elections that are scheduled to take place in January 2010.
• Nov 18, 2009: Kurdish legislators threaten boycott of Iraq election, The New York Times (2009) After the Iraqi Vice President threatened to veto the election law, the Kurdish legislators threatened to boycott the election unless they get a greater share of parliamentary seats.
• Nov 16, 2009: Iraq VP threatens to veto vote law over refugees, Reuters (2009) The Iraqi Vice President threatened to veto the election law unless seats in the Parliament are allocated to Iraqi refugees. This move once again raises doubts about whether the general election scheduled for January 2010 will actually take place.
• Nov 09, 2009: Deal on Kirkuk sets stage for Iraqi elections, The Guardian (2009) Having agreed on the formula to include the disputed city of Kirkuk in national election, Iraqi legislators have finally passed the electoral law, which means that the national elections will take place in January 2010.
• Nov 06, 2009: Iraqis again fail to approve election law, The New York Times (2009) The Iraqi Parliament failed to approve the long debated election law during the Thursday session, which will very likely lead to a delay in the elections, scheduled for January 16. A member of the Independent High Electoral Commission Hamdia al-Hussaini said she would wait until Sunday to decide whether to postpone the election.
• Nov 05, 2009: Iraq fails to agree on election law, The Wall Street Journal (2009) Iraqi lawmakers failed to agree on the proposed electoral law yet again and the election commission warned that the January election may have to be delayed if the law does not pass this week (during Thursday session).
• Oct 29, 2009: Iraqi Kurdish bloc to boycott vote, CNN (2009) The Kurdish bloc in the Iraqi parliament intends to boycott the vote on the electoral law if the province of Kirkuk is banned from voting in the January 2010 elections.
• Oct 28, 2009: Legislators in Iraq block a Deal on Election Law, The New York Times (2009) Despite a law proposed by the nation's top political figures on Monday, Iraqi political parties failed to agree on the election law again. This represents another blockage in negotiations, threatening the January 16 national elections.
• Oct 26, 2009: Iraq: Bombings may aim to derail effort to reform election law, Irish Times (2009) As the country senior leaders were supposed to meet to resolve a dispute over the election law, two bombs exploded at the justice ministry and provincial administration offices in Baghdad.
• Oct 20, 2009: Iraqis defer vote on election law, The Washington Post (2009) The second voting for an electoral law crucial for the upcoming January elections failed, pointing to the current problems that Iraqi legislators and society have to face.
• Oct 19, 2009: Iraqi primary election ordered by Muqtada Sadr draws voters, Los Angeles Times (2009) Muqtada Sadr's party holds the first primary for candidates in January 2010 election.
• Oct 19, 2009: Opposition Grows to Iraqi Election Plan, The Wall Street Journal (2009) As legislators are preparing an electoral law for January elections, opposition grows to the closed-list ballot proposal.
• Oct 15, 2008: US welcomes Iraq local election law, AFP (2008)
• Aug 13, 2008: Iraq elections face delay after Talabani rejects bill, Gulf Research Center (2008)