26 February 2012
SALAHADDIN - Salahaddin officials refuse to postpone the bid for regional autonomy in the province after delivering the signatures of two percent of voters to Iraq's electoral commission.
Secretary General of the conference for announcing Salahaddin's autonomy Najeh al-Mizan said the signatures were submitted to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) for the commission to continue with the rest of the proceedings.
According to law, the signatures of two percent of a province's voters must be taken to the IHEC if the Council of Ministers does not agree to refer a request for autonomy to the IHEC within 15 days from the date of submission of the request.
The General Secretariat of the conference announced on December 8 plans to collect signatures of the supporters of autonomy.
Member of the Council of Representatives Shaalan Karim said the establishment of the region is both constitutional and legal, and the province is working to complete all the necessary procedures.
Iraqi civic organizations have failed to dissuade Salahaddin's efforts to form a region.
Meanwhile Vice Chairman of Salahaddin Provincial Council Sabhan al-Mulla Jiyad said the council supports the opinion of the province's people. Jiyad previously said the province may scrap its demand for regional autonomy if the long-awaited national conference is a success. The conference is yet to take place.
Local government officials in Salahaddin province proclaimed regional autonomy on October 27, assuring that the move was an appropriate solution to resolve the current political crisis in Iraq. Salahaddin accused the Shiite-dominated authorities in Baghdad of repressing Sunnis.
Article 119 of the Iraqi constitution allows a province to become a region through a referendum requested by one third of the council members of each governorate or one tenth of the voters in each governorate. Salahaddin's initial request was made by more than two thirds of the council members.
Iraq's parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi previously accused the government of violating the constitution when it refused to deal with Salahaddin's request for autonomy. According to Nujaifi, the Council of Ministers would have had no option but to refer the request to the IHEC.
Over the last few months several provincial councils have proclaimed autonomy or threatened to do so. The call for autonomy, especially among Sunni provinces, was a response to the arrests of more than 615 alleged former members of the Baath Party of the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
The arrests were ordered by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki after Maliki received information from Libyan interim leader Mahmoud Jibril, whose rebel forces obtained documents indicating that the late Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi tried to support an attempt of Baath members to overthrow the Iraqi government.
Most of the supporters for the establishment of Salahaddin region belong to Iraqiya List. Many parties oppose the call for autonomy in the province, including the Association of Muslim Scholars, former Baathists and some of the leaders of the Sahwat forces, a tribal militia formed in 2006 with US military backing to support the government in chasing rebels linked to al-Qaeda.
SALAHADDIN - Salahaddin officials refuse to postpone the bid for regional autonomy in the province after delivering the signatures of two percent of voters to Iraq's electoral commission.
Secretary General of the conference for announcing Salahaddin's autonomy Najeh al-Mizan said the signatures were submitted to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) for the commission to continue with the rest of the proceedings.
According to law, the signatures of two percent of a province's voters must be taken to the IHEC if the Council of Ministers does not agree to refer a request for autonomy to the IHEC within 15 days from the date of submission of the request.
The General Secretariat of the conference announced on December 8 plans to collect signatures of the supporters of autonomy.
Member of the Council of Representatives Shaalan Karim said the establishment of the region is both constitutional and legal, and the province is working to complete all the necessary procedures.
Iraqi civic organizations have failed to dissuade Salahaddin's efforts to form a region.
Meanwhile Vice Chairman of Salahaddin Provincial Council Sabhan al-Mulla Jiyad said the council supports the opinion of the province's people. Jiyad previously said the province may scrap its demand for regional autonomy if the long-awaited national conference is a success. The conference is yet to take place.
Local government officials in Salahaddin province proclaimed regional autonomy on October 27, assuring that the move was an appropriate solution to resolve the current political crisis in Iraq. Salahaddin accused the Shiite-dominated authorities in Baghdad of repressing Sunnis.
Article 119 of the Iraqi constitution allows a province to become a region through a referendum requested by one third of the council members of each governorate or one tenth of the voters in each governorate. Salahaddin's initial request was made by more than two thirds of the council members.
Iraq's parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi previously accused the government of violating the constitution when it refused to deal with Salahaddin's request for autonomy. According to Nujaifi, the Council of Ministers would have had no option but to refer the request to the IHEC.
Over the last few months several provincial councils have proclaimed autonomy or threatened to do so. The call for autonomy, especially among Sunni provinces, was a response to the arrests of more than 615 alleged former members of the Baath Party of the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
The arrests were ordered by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki after Maliki received information from Libyan interim leader Mahmoud Jibril, whose rebel forces obtained documents indicating that the late Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi tried to support an attempt of Baath members to overthrow the Iraqi government.
Most of the supporters for the establishment of Salahaddin region belong to Iraqiya List. Many parties oppose the call for autonomy in the province, including the Association of Muslim Scholars, former Baathists and some of the leaders of the Sahwat forces, a tribal militia formed in 2006 with US military backing to support the government in chasing rebels linked to al-Qaeda.
© AK News 2012
