Iraq VP says vetoes part of election law

Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, part of a presidential council that has veto power over legislation, said he objected to Article One of the law approved by parliament this month because it did not give a voice to Iraqis abroad.

“I have delivered my letter of objection to the presidential council and another copy to parliament,” Hashemi told a news conference. “My suggested amendment is to give justice to all Iraqis living abroad, not just Iraqis displaced in neighboring countries.”

Many Iraqis abroad are part of Iraq's once-dominant Sunni Muslim community who fled after Saddam Hussein's ouster in 2003 unleashed a sectarian war.

Hashemi said he had sent the legislation back to parliament with his objection to a single article, but that he believed the issue could be resolved in a single session of parliament.

He tried to play down the impact of his veto on the elections, saying it should not interrupt preparations for the poll or force a change in the date that it is to be held.

The ballot, planned for between January 18-23, is viewed as a major milestone as Iraq emerges from 6-1/2 years of bloodshed and stands on its own feet while U.S. forces withdraw.

Any delay to the election could affect U.S. plans to end combat operations on August 31, 2010, ahead of a full pullout by the end of 2011.

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