Iraq lawmakers end session with no election deal

BAGHDAD -- Iraqi lawmakers ended their session Thursday without agreeing on an election law needed to carry out the country's January vote, raising concerns about the country's ability to carry out the crucial election as planned.

The election law has been stalled for weeks as lawmakers argue over how to apportion votes in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, a city claimed by both Arabs and Kurds. An election delay could undermine the government and lead to instability just as American troops are going home.

Lawmakers met again Thursday to discuss the election legislation but ended the session without a deal.

"The Parliament session ended for today and will be held on Saturday to give more chance for discussions," Shiite lawmaker Ridha Jwad Taqi told The Associated Press.

It was unclear how the parliament's decision to push back the vote until Saturday would affect the ability of the election to go forward as planned.

The head of Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission, Faraj al-Haidari, earlier this week warned lawmakers that if they did not have an election deal passed by the end of the day Thursday, it would be impossible to carry out the election on January 16.

On Thursday, before the session ended, al-Haidari reiterated his stance to the AP.

"Today is the deadline," al-Haidari said. He was not immediately available for comment following the end of the session.

Another member of the commission, Hamdiyah al-Husseini, said the commission would meet later Thursday to decide how to proceed. She would not comment further.

Kirkuk has been a source of controversy for decades. Under former dictator Saddam Hussein, tens of thousands of Kurds were forcibly displaced under a plan to make Kirkuk predominantly Arab. After the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, many Kurds returned but now other groups claim there are even more Kurds than before Saddam evicted them.

For the Kurds, Kirkuk has a symbolic importance, and they consider it their "Jerusalem." But the Arab-led central government vehemently opposes anything that would remove Kirkuk from its control.

The region is home to vast oil fields, further complicating the issue. A referendum on the city's future, required by the constitution, has been repeatedly postponed.

The immediate question lawmakers have been wrestling with is who will be able to vote in Kirkuk when the election goes forward. Kurds generally have favored using a 2009 voter registry, which likely reflects the Kurdish population growth. Arabs generally prefer a 2004 voter registry, when the Kurdish population was not as large in Kirkuk.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)