Sadrist politicians anger over Iraq law setback
Iraq, Politics, 3/5/2008

The Iraqi Sadr bloc, which has the backing of 32 members in a 275-seat Iraqi parliament expressed concern about Iraqi presidential council decision to object to a national reconciliation law.

The draft law would have paved the way for provincial elections. Its rejection is being seen as setback in the process of national reconciliation.

The legislation, which also defines the relationship between Baghdad and local authorities, will now be sent back to parliament, which passed it as part of a package of three controversial laws, earlier this month after weeks of delays.

The faction loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has reacted angrily to the rejection by Iraq's presidency council of a draft law on regional powers.

A spokesman for Sadrist bloc, Nassar Rubaie, denounced the council's decision as a form of dictatorship. He said his group was considering calling for sit-ins and a general strike in protest.

The presidential council has not said which of its three members objected to the law. Sadrist politicians have blamed the decision on one of the vice-presidents, Adel Abd al-Mahdi, who is a senior figure in a rival Shiite party, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council.

The Iraqi presidential council is made up of President Jalal Talabani - a Kurd - and Shiite and Sunni vice-presidents, Abd al-Mahdi and Tariq al-Hashemi.

The three leaders last Wednesday backed the other two laws in the package - the 2008 budget and an amnesty law for detainees.

The Kurds had wanted the budget to be passed, the Sunni Arabs wanted the amnesty law, and the Shiites were keen to press ahead with provincial elections and that passing the laws together had pleased all three groups.

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