Politicians told to get election process going.

Provided by 7DAYS.ae

The UN envoy to Iraq yesterday urged politicians to get moving on a key provincial election law that remains bogged down in controversy over the administration of the oil-rich province of Kirkuk.eIuIt is necessary to hold the provincial election at the end of this year, or at least by early next year,eIN Staffan de Mistura told reporters after meeting IraqeIUs most respected Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf.eIuThere is no justification to delay this election,eIN he said in the central holy city.

Iraq had been due to go to the polls on October 1 but the long-awaited legislation to oversee the ballot has faced repeated delays over the political handling of the disputed northern province.MPs failed to agree on the electoral law before parliament went on summer recess from August 6 to September 9.eIuThere are risks if this election is not held because we will face the issue of the provincial councils being illegal, when the period is over,eIN de Mistura said.The elections are now expected to be postponed to early 2009 because parliament has yet to pass the law. However, an election commission member said that if parliament passed the legislation by September 15, the vote could still be held this year.

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