Maliki: Gov't, parliament risks losing legitimacy

Iraq's prime minister has warned that the government and parliament may lose their "legitimacy" as a result of a deadlock over stalled election law.

"If it is postponed from the current date, the government will lose its legitimacy and parliament will have lost its legitimacy," Maliki said in a speech Saturday.

"We will be forced to go back to square one, returning to sectarianism. ... Therefore, our voices must unite to hold the election at its present date," AFP quoted Maliki as saying.

The deadlock threatens the poll as the electoral law is supposed to be in place 90 days before voting. Constitutionally, the election must be held by January 31.

At issue are proposed changes to the law that would oblige the Iraqi political parties to publish full lists of their candidates rather than simply the name of their electoral list.

The lack of agreement on the fate of the oil-rich province of Kirkuk is another major hurdle.

Kurds have long demanded the province as part of their autonomous region in the north, but they have faced strong opposition from Arabs and Turkmen in the province.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=109549§ionid=351020201.