Deputy speaker, UN official tackle minorities’ rights

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: First Deputy Speaker Sheikh Khaled Atiya and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Iraq (SRSG), Staffan de Mistura, on Monday discussed the representation of minorities in provincial councils. Atiya stressed the need for “working out solutions that are acceptable to all parties and are in accordance with the constitution and law,” according to a statement published today on the official web site of the Iraqi Parliament. “It is necessary to ensure the rights of minorities and their fair representation in the coming provincial council elections,” the statement quoted Atiya as saying. SS (P) 1