Iraqi lawmakers pass election law, paving way for January vote

U.S. ambassador says 'responsible drawdown is going to be done according to schedule'

Iraqi lawmakers on Sunday night passed an election law, overcoming a weeks-long impasse and averting a constitutional crisis that threatened to delay the U.S. troop drawdown.

The vote was held during a rare evening session preceded by intense lobbying efforts by U.S. and UN diplomats, who had grown increasingly frustrated by the sluggish pace of negotiations and the acrimony that characterized them.

"This was amazing for me," Kurdish lawmaker Ala Talabani said after leaving the session. "There was a lot of discussion, a lot of arguing, but we finally were forced to listen to each other. It's a nice feeling -- that we're on the path of real democracy."

To address the most contentious issue, Kurdish and Arab lawmakers agreed that votes cast in the disputed province of Kirkuk would be examined closely months after the election.

The yearlong review period was established to determine how dramatically the influx of Kurds to Kirkuk since the U.S.-led 2003 invasion has altered the province's demographics.

The assessment could ultimately change the outcome of the election in that province and the process could exacerbate a decades-long bitter fight over ancestry, oil and control of the city.

Sunni Arabs in the city accuse Kurds of artificially boosting their population in the oil-rich city in an effort to eventually control it and eventually annex it to their autonomous region in northern Iraq.

Saddam Hussein forcibly expelled Kurds from Kirkuk and neighboring cities and villages in northern Iraq during his tenure.

Despite opposition from the Kurdish block, lawmakers agreed to use an open list system, which will give political parties and factions less flexibility to distribute seats. Advocates of an open list election hope it will make Iraqi politicians more transparent and responsive to constituents.

The law passed by a comfortable margin, with 141 of the 195 present lawmakers voting in favor. There are 275 Iraqi lawmakers. The new law adds roughly 45 new seats to parliament. The Iraqi presidency council is expected to ratify it in coming days.

President Obama congratulated Iraqi leaders for passing the law during remarks Sunday afternoon in the Rose Garden. "Their flexibility and commitment to their country sends an important signal to the world about Iraq's democracy and national unity," he said.

U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill said the election would likely be held Jan. 23, a few days later than originally scheduled, but within the timeframe mandated by the constitution.