Parliament Approves Elections Law in Iraq

Iraqi soldiers patrol for terrorism suspects in Baghdad. Despite forward movement on the elections law, violence continued to erupt in Iraq as gunmen ambushed a force of policemen and U.S.-backed Sunni neighborhood patrols yesterday, killing 35 in the town of Khan Bani Saad, 15 miles southwest of Baqubah in Diyala province. (By Hadi Mizban -- Associated Press)

The new parliamentary committee is required by the law to make recommendations for separate legislation on Kirkuk by March.

"The main issues about Kirkuk have not been solved," said Mahmoud Othman, an independent Kurdish legislator. "Now, this deal for the elections may ease the situation. If this committee could normalize the situation of Kirkuk, it could decrease tensions and create good relations between the parties. We have to wait and see."

The legislation also requires women to hold 25 percent of all seats in the provincial councils. "The passage of this law is a great victory for Iraqi women and Iraq," said Alaa Talabani, a Kurdish lawmaker. "I feel happy over the fact that the cause of women has become an acceptable notion, respected and endorsed by the political forums, which is a victory by itself."

Officials from Iraq's minority groups and the United Nations expressed disappointment that minority rights were not adequately addressed in the law. Iraq's Christians and other minorities were hoping to get a specific percentage of provincial seats allocated to them, giving them a greater political voice.

"We the Chaldeo-Christians feel a great disappointment because what was done today was a regression from democratic practices," said Yonadem Kanna, a lawmaker.

"This is a good day for Iraq and democracy, a day in which Iraqis proved they are capable of reaching a consensus," said U.N. envoy Staffan di Mistura. "But still I say on any great day there is always one cloud, which we had not expected, which is the lack of representation for minorities. I hope this can be rectified."

Special correspondents Qais Mizher, K.I. Ibrahim, Zaid Sabah and Dalya Hassan contributed to this report.