Monday, July 02, 2007
Maliki determined to hold provincial elections by year's end
Politics
(RFE/RL) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki says he is determined to hold provincial elections by the end of this year to delegate more power to the country's communities. His office quoted him as telling the National Elections Commission that "it does not matter who wins, as long as the victor is a son of Iraq and works in the interest of its people." Although Iraq held its first full-term parliamentary elections in December 2005, it has never elected leaders to the country's 18 governorates.
The holding of local elections has emerged as one of several "benchmarks" of political progress demanded by Washington as a means of resolving the country's various sectarian and ethnic conflicts. Local elections are also seen as a way to allow more Sunni Muslims to acquire political power and deter them from fighting.
Labels: National Elections Commission, Nouri Al-Maliki, provincial elections
