WORLD> Middle East
|
WORLD> Middle East
|
|
Iraqi police arrest 30 in fatal truck bombing
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-10 11:00 Ibrahim Bajilan, head of the Diyala provincial council, said parts of his province are still under the influence of insurgents and are no-go areas for certain religious groups.
Bajilan also said voting would be skewed because thousands of people displaced by sectarian violence have not returned to their homes. Voters in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces will choose members of ruling provincial councils on January 31. Bajilan said voters in Diyala could face intimidation and candidates could be assassinated ahead of the January balloting. The US military also has warned it expects attacks to rise ahead of the elections. "There will be a wave of killings against the candidates due to an absence of law and real protection for them," Bajilan said. US and Iraqi officials hope the elections will redress problems created by the last regional balloting in January 2005, when Sunnis largely stayed away from the polls. As a result, Kurds and Shiites won a disproportionate share of the power, including in areas such as Diyala which has a large Sunni population. Qassim al-Aboudi, an official in the electoral commission, declined to comment on the postponement request but said the elections law included no provision for a delay. In Karbala, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki urged a big turnout in the January ballot, saying it would help reconcile the country's rival religious and ethnic communities. He urged people to vote according to the interest of the country. "During the election contest, I hope that you will not bow to any pressure or any other calculations," al-Maliki, a Shiite, said. |
