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2nd LD-Writethru: Iraqi parliament approves date for general elections

Xinhua,January 22, 2018 Adjust font size:

BAGHDAD, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi parliament Monday approved the general elections to be held on May 12, the official television reported.

The decision came after Iraq's federal court ruled that it is not possible for the elections to be delayed.

"The Council of Representatives (the parliament) voted on a resolution setting May 12 as the date for the elections of the next parliament," the parliament said in a statement.

The parliament resolution also issued a package of directives for the government, including that the government should commit to providing a safe environment for the elections and should ensure the return of displaced people to their cities and towns, the statement said.

The directives also said that political parties, which have military wings, must not participate in the elections. In addition, the parliament obliged the government to increase the number of local and international monitors, the statement said.

Earlier, Abbas al-Baiyati, a lawmaker from the Iraqi National Alliance, told the official Iraqiya channel that "the Council of Representatives (the parliament) has voted unanimously to hold the elections on May 12 as set before by the Council of Ministers (the cabinet) and the electoral commission."

The parliament resolution came a day after the Supreme Federal Court issued an "interpretative decision" for Article 56 of the Iraqi constitution, indicating that the timing for electing the members of the new parliament must be respected, Ayas al-Samouk, head of the court's media office, said in a brief statement.

The court's decision came just hours after the Iraqi parliament submitted a request to the court to interpret the constitution's article seeking whether it would be possible to postpone the elections as some political blocs demand, Samouk said.

On Wednesday, Sunni major parliamentary coalition demanded postponement of the general elections for six months to allow hundreds of thousands of displaced Sunni people to return home to cast their ballots after the liberation of their cities and towns from the Islamic State.

The cabinet of the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in coordination with Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission decided May 12 as date for the coming elections.

According to the Iraqi constitution, the parliamentary elections must be held at least 45 days before the end of the current legislative term.

After the parliament approval for the elections date, the endorsement of the Presidential Council is still needed for the date to be fully approved.

Iraq's previous general election was held on April 30, 2014, when the Iraqis elected 328 lawmakers for the parliament, which in turn elected Abadi to form an inclusive government from the Shiite alliance, Kurds and Sunnis. Enditem