Iraq's Presidential Council Rejects Provincial Election Law
By VOA News
27 February 2008
Iraq's presidential council has rejected a law setting up provincial elections and returned the measure to Parliament for further discussion.
At the same time, the council approved two other laws Wednesday seen as key to peace among Iraq's Sunni Arabs, Shi'ites and Kurds - one granting a limited amnesty and the other approving the federal budget.
The three-member presidential council gave no reason for rejecting the election law.
White House spokeswoman, Dana Perino, said the United States would have liked to see the law passed quickly and easily, but said its rejection shows democracy is working in Iraq.
Iraq's parliament passed the three laws as a package two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, millions of pilgrims are streaming into the Iraqi city of Karbala for a religious observance important to Shi'ite Muslims.
The Arbaeen commemoration is expected to climax Thursday.
Earlier this week, attacks on pilgrims heading to Karbala killed at least 63 people and wounded more than 100 others.
In violence Wednesday, Reuters reports two people were killed by a car bomb in Mosul, and two gunmen were killed in a clash with Iraqi soldiers elsewhere in the northern city. In Baghdad, a Shi'ite pilgrim was killed and two injured by a roadside bomb.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP.
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