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New Iraqi election law 'agreed' New Iraqi election law approved
(40 minutes later)
Iraq's political parties have reached agreement on a stalled electoral law, paving the way for elections, officials in parliament say. Iraq's parliament has unanimously approved a new electoral law, paving the way for elections next year.
The speaker's office told the BBC parliament had been called for a special late night session in an effort to end the political crisis. Parliamentarians were called to vote in a special late-night session in an effort to end the political crisis.
However there is concern that not enough MPs may be present to make the vote binding. No details have been made public about the new law, but it is said to have been brokered by officials from the UN and the US embassy.
No details have been made public about the new law. Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi had vetoed the previous version of the law, and Kurds had objected to parts of it.
It is said to have been brokered by officials from the UN and the US embassy. The new parliament will be expanded from the current 275 seats to 325, said Deputy Parliament Speaker Khalid al-Attiyah.
The crisis began after Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi vetoed the previous version of the law, saying it did not provide enough seats for the country's Sunni minority. No date has been set for elections. Polls originally scheduled for 16 January have been delayed due to problems with the election law.
Debate over the electoral law had centred around the northern, oil-rich city of Kirkuk, which is disputed between Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen.
Mr Hashemi had vetoed the previous version of the law, saying it did not provide enough seats for the country's Sunni minority.
The election is seen as a prerequisite to the US meeting its goal of pulling out combat troops.