Iraqi parl. votes with majority over provincial law amendment

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi parliament on Monday voted with majority of 106 out of 150 in favor of a draft to amend the provincial council election law to give one seat to each key group in the provinces of Basra, Ninewa and Baghdad, a lawmaker said. “Today’s approved amendment held that the Christians and the Mandaean Sabians will get one seat each in the Baghdad provincial council, one seat for Christians in the Basra council and one seat for each of the Christians, Yazidis and Shabaks in the Ninewa council,” Mohammed al-Khazaali told IraqiNews.com. The Iraqi parliament had held its 21st session on Monday to vote over the law amendment draft after it completed on Thursday the second reading of the proposed amendments. The Iraqi parliament had on September 24 passed the law on provincial council elections but cancellation of article 50, which provided for set quotas for minorities in local councils, has caused a commotion and drew criticism of the law by minorities’ socio-political organizations. AmR (P) 1