Baghdad, December 08: A top Iraqi lawmaker says the newly passed electoral law delivered a political blow to Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, which was not reflected in his message.
“Tariq al-Hashemi gained nothing from the new electoral law, as Mosul Province lost five parliamentary seats, three from the provincial and two from the minority quotas,” Baha Araji told Al-Alam on Monday, according to a translation of his comments.
Araji is the spokesman for the National Iraqi Alliance, the most influential Iraqi party, which holds the most seats in parliament.
The lawmaker’s take on how the law will affect al-Hashimi comes after the vice president issued a message welcoming the motion and calling it a “historical victory” for the Iraqi people.
Al-Hashemi’s comments were significant as he had used his veto power to bar an earlier version of the law last month and threatened to use that privilege once again if the law did not meet his requirements.
After the veto, the debates over the law had dragged on and further delayed the yet to-be-held parliamentary elections.
Originally, the nationwide elections had been slated for the middle of January, but officials now say the poll will most likely be held in late February or March.
Araji said Hashemi’s decision to veto the original draft and the consecutive delays has left the country in divide over the constitution.
The parliamentarian said this lack of agreement could lead to a situation where the international community or the occupying forces refuse to recognize the election results.
Araji also accused Hashemi, who is one of Iraq’s two vice presidents, of dragging the country into “dark places” and warned that another veto could seriously harm the political process and cause very serious repercussions.
—Agencies