Iraq parliament struggles over elusive vote deal

By Waleed Ibrahim

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament suspended efforts on Saturday to reach a deal on a law which is crucial for an election to take place in January and could affect the U.S. military' s plans for a partial withdrawal next year.

Political parties would continue negotiations on Sunday, officials said, after Sunni Arab Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi vetoed the law and sent it back to parliament to demand greater representation for Iraqis who fled abroad, most of them Sunnis.

Parliament must now either address Hashemi's complaints and amend the law, which may invite other interest groups to demand other changes, or send it back to him unchanged only for him to possibly veto it again.

The law was approved on November 8 only after weeks of wrangling over how to hold the vote in the disputed city of Kirkuk.

"The session has been suspended until tomorrow to give more time for heads of parliamentary blocs and the legal committee to meet to find a solution," Baha al-Araji, a Shi'ite lawmaker and head of parliamentary legal committee, told Reuters.

The failure of Iraqi legislators to reach agreement cast further doubt on the likelihood that the parliamentary election would be held on time, potentially threatening the U.S. military's plans to end combat operations in August.

Constitutionally, the election must be held before the end of January and a law must be in place 60 days before voting day, seen as a milestone as Iraq emerges from years of bloodshed triggered by the 2003 U.S. invasion.

The final week of January is unpalatable, in particular to Iraq's Shi'ite majority, because it coincides with major Muslim religious festivals. So the clock is ticking.