Al-Maliki says ex-Baathists cleared to run in elections

Middle East News

Nov 10, 2009, 15:56 GMT

Baghdad - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said Tuesday that former Baathists could participate in the upcoming elections provided they cut ties with the former ruling party of the country. However, he said he would not negotiate with Baathists who remained loyal to the party and its former leader Saddam Hussein, accusing them and al-Qaeda of creating instability and insecurity in the country ahead of the vote. They would also be barred from the political process, Maliki told reporters in Baghdad. Al-Maliki is depending on a patchwork of alliances with Sunni tribal leaders and Sahwa, or 'Awakening,' militia leaders to win January's parliamentary elections, following the departure of key Shiite coalition partners in August. Iraq's electoral commission on Monday said those elections will now take place on January 21, five days later than originally planned, after weeks of rancorous debate on voting in the disputed northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk delayed passage of the electoral law for weeks.

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Al-Maliki says ex-Baathists cleared to run in elections

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