Iraq's Kurds threaten to boycott elections

[sabra]

Source: AP

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq — Iraqi Kurds threatened Tuesday to boycott national elections slated for January unless parliament seats are reallocated in what they consider a fair manner, throwing into doubt the vote which could determine how quickly U.S. can troops go home.

Just a week ago, legislators and observers were celebrating the passage of a key election law needed to carry out the voting. But the new Kurdish threat coupled with a veto threat earlier in the week by the country's Sunni vice president could derail what would be only the second nationwide parliamentary elections since Saddam Hussein was booted from power.

The office of Kurdistan Regional President Massoud Barzani said the way seats are distributed according to the election law is unfair to Kurds.

"Unless this seat allocation formula is reconsidered in a just manner, the people of (the) Kurdistan Region will be compelled to boycott the election," a statement posted on Barzani's Web site said. Three northern provinces make up the Kurdish autonomous region, and are represented by their own parliament as well as president.

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