Iraq's election commission halted all preparations for elections in January after Iraq's Sunni Arab vice president vetoed part of an election law that had paved the way for the poll, an electoral official said on Wednesday.
"As a result of the veto, we have decided to stop all our activities and work as we await a final law with a presidential decree that determines the exact date of the election," Hamdiya al-Hussaini told Reuters.
Earlier, Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi said he had vetoed part of an election law over the allocation of seats to displaced Iraqis, throwing fresh doubt over plans for general elections in January.
My suggested amendment is to give justice to all Iraqis living abroad, not just Iraqis displaced in neighboring countries
Hashemi, part of a presidential council that has veto power over legislation, said he objected to Article One of the law approved by parliament this month because it did not give a voice to Iraqis abroad.
"I have delivered my letter of objection to the presidential council and another copy to parliament," Hashemi told a news conference. "My suggested amendment is to give justice to all Iraqis living abroad, not just Iraqis displaced in neighboring countries."
Hashemi said he had sent the legislation back to parliament with his objection to a single article, but that he believed the issue could be resolved in a single session of parliament.
Many Iraqis abroad are part of Iraq's once-dominant Sunni Muslim community who fled after Saddam Hussein's ouster in 2003 unleashed a sectarian war.
He tried to play down the impact of his veto on the elections, saying it should not interrupt preparations for the poll or force a change in the date that it is to be held.
The ballot, planned for between Jan. 18-23, is viewed as a major milestone as Iraq emerges from 6-1/2 years of bloodshed and stands on its own feet while U.S. forces withdraw.
Lawmakers haggled for weeks over the election legislation before finally passing it on Nov. 8, much to the relief of Iraqi political leaders and the United States.
Now, al-Hashemi's move threatens to undermine Iraq's fledgling democracy and derail Washington's plans to withdraw all combat troops by the end of August. U.S. commanders have tied the move to the national vote.
U.S. military officials have said they will begin to draw down forces about 60 days after the election, hoping for assurances by then that Iraq is on stable footing.
Under a plan by President Barack Obama, all U.S. combat personnel must be out of Iraq by the end of August 2010. The rest of the troops, such as trainers and support personnel, must leave by the end of 2011.
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