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Iraqi Politicians Raise Possibility of Election Boycott

   VOA News 09 January 2010
   Salah  al-Mutlak  (L) is flanked by supporters at a news conference in
   Baghdad, 08 Jan 2010

Photo: AP

   Salah  al-Mutlak  (L) is flanked by supporters at a news conference in
   Baghdad, 08 Jan 2010

   A coalition of Iraqi political parties - including Sunni groups - says
   the   parties   may   boycott  the  country's  upcoming  parliamentary
   elections,  because they are angry about a decision to bar a prominent
   secular Sunni lawmaker and his party.
   Earlier  this  week  the Iraqi parliament's Accountability and Justice
   Committee  moved  to  disqualify Salah al-Mutlak from participating in
   the  upcoming  elections  for  speaking  out  in support of members of
   Saddam Hussein's former ruling Baath Party.
   Al-Mutlak  denies the allegation and is promising to fight the ruling.
   And a spokesman for a coalition of political parties tells the Reuters
   news  agency  the parties "will reconsider their participation" in the
   election if the parliamentary committee goes ahead with the ban.
   Analysts  called  Thursday's announcement a blow to U.S. officials who
   hope  the  election  will bring opposition factions into the political
   process and stabilize the Iraqi government.
   At  least  13  other  parties  were  also  cited for ties to the Baath
   regime.
   Officials say the ban could be ratified within days.
   Sunnis largely boycotted the last elections in 2005.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

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