By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has rejected the provincial election law that was passed by the parliament on Tuesday, his office said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The president can not agree with a law that breach the principle of consensus among the interests of the three Iraqi components (Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds) and is a flagrant violation to the constitution,” the statement said.
“The president would not accept such law which only 127 members of parliament voted in and which does not represent even half of the parliament,” it said referring to the 275 seats of the total number of the parliament.
“The president is also looking forward that the other political leadership and heads of the political blocs in the parliament would amend the law,” it said.
On Tuesday, the Iraqi parliament approved the law of provincial elections despite the Kurds walked out protesting a secret vote exclusively held over an article dealing with the disputed oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
According to Iraq’s constitution, the draft law should be delivered to the presidency council for an unanimous approval. The council consists of Talabani, a Kurd, Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, a Sunni Arab and Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi, a Shiite.