Iraq to hold elections on January 21

Baghdad (AP) Iraq's parliament ended weeks of debate and passed a long-delayed law paving the way for the planned January election to go forward, sidestepping a crisis that could have delayed the US troop withdrawal.

Yesterday's assembly decision appeared to resolve a key sticking point — who will be allowed to vote in the disputed, oil-rich city of Kirkuk. The issue had threatened to delay Iraq's key parliamentary elections, which in turn would affect how quickly American combat forces could leave the country.

Meanwhile, the head of the Independent High Electoral Commission told AFP the election will take place on January 21.

"We are in agreement for the election to take place on January 21," said IHEC chief Falaj Al Haidari.

"We sent a letter today to the presidency and we have received confirmation in a telephone call that they accept the date," he added

The election was originally billed for January 16.

Al Haidari said the commission has also determined there will be 323 seats in the next parliament, up from current 275. The increase in seats is based on a formula sketched out in the election law that calls for a representative for every 100,000 people, using statistics provided by the Ministry of Trade.

Milestone

The ministry gathers numbers from the food ration cards that Iraqis use, a relic from the Saddam Hussain era.

In a sign of how intensely Washington was following the debate, US Ambassador Christopher Hill could be seen shuttling between various political factions before the law's passage. President Barack Obama, speaking at the White House, welcomed the new legislation.

"This is an important milestone as the Iraqi people continue to take responsibility for their future. I want to congratulate Iraq's leaders for reaching this agreement," Obama said. "The United States will continue to stand with Iraq as a strong partner and as a friend."

Iraq's prime minister, Nouri Al Maliki, in a statement posted on his website, hailed the election law's passage as a "historic victory of the will of the people," and described it as a strong response to the people who are trying to undermine the country's security.

The US ambassador, speaking to reporters after the vote, said the American troop drawdown will proceed as scheduled. Military commanders have said the US troop withdrawal would start in earnest about 60 days after the vote, the idea being that the country would be on stable footing by then.