Iraqi Sunni Arab VP Threatens to Veto Election Law

Iraq’s Sunni Arab vice president, Tariq al-Hashimi
(Photo credit: Ali Al-Saadi / AP — 2006 file photo)

Nov. 15, 2009

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Sunni Arab vice president threatened Sunday to veto the country’s election law unless changes are made giving Iraqis living abroad more guaranteed seats in parliament, throwing the January vote into question.

The veto threat comes a week after lawmakers passed the long-delayed legislation, paving the way for national polls in January. Any delay in the voting could derail a U.S. plan to withdraw combat troops from Iraq, a process scheduled to ramp up following the election.

Tareq al-Hashimi gave parliament until noon on Tuesday to amend the election bill and ensure greater representation for voters outside of Iraq, most of whom are Sunni Arabs like al-Hashimi. …

Earlier Sunday, in a letter to parliament, al-Hashimi said the election bill lawmakers passed a week ago “did not give fair treatment to the large segment of Iraqi people who are living abroad and who were forced to leave their country for reasons beyond their control.”

Most of the estimated 2 million Iraqis who fled the sectarian violence in their homeland are Sunni Arabs. The vast majority now live in Jordan and Syria. …

Earlier Sunday, in a letter to parliament, al-Hashimi said the election bill lawmakers passed a week ago “did not give fair treatment to the large segment of Iraqi people who are living abroad and who were forced to leave their country for reasons beyond their control.”

Most of the estimated 2 million Iraqis who fled the sectarian violence in their homeland are Sunni Arabs. The vast majority now live in Jordan and Syria. …

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — November 15, 2008

‘I Never Saw Any Evidence’

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported that Adm. Chris Barrie, former chief of the Australian Defense Force, had said there was no evidence to justify going to war in Iraq in 2003; that two U.S. soldiers had been killed in helicopter crash Iraq; and that a car bomb had killed 10 people and wounded 30 in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar.