Iraqi Lawmakers Pass the Parliamentary Election Law

Iraqi lawmakers on November 4, 2013, passed the parliamentary elections law when the majority of 222 lawmakers, who attended the session of the 325-seat parliament, voted for its latest amendment.

Following the vote, parliament speaker Usama al-Nujaifi said: "The new law was produced by consensus, which makes it fair for all.”

Iraqi Vice President Khudhair al-Khuzaie issued a decree setting April 30, 2014 as the date for the parliamentary elections.

The United Nations special envoy to Iraq has lauded the Iraqi lawmakers over passing the controversial amendment of the election law which would govern the country's national polls to be held next year.

Nickolay Mladenov, head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), said that, "the UN welcomes the agreement reached by political blocs to pass the (amendment of) election law," Iraq' s NINA news agency quoted Mladenov as saying at a press conference held late Monday during his visit to Iraq's northern Kirkuk province.

To read more: http://english.cri.cn/6966/2013/11/05/3123s796624.htm.