Iraq’s Sunni Arab vice president demands changes to election law before approving

Iraq Sunni Arab VP demands changes to election law

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Sunni Arab vice president says he cannot approve the country’s election law unless changes are made giving Iraqis living abroad more guaranteed seats in parliament, throwing the country’s national vote in January into question.

Tareq al-Hashimi said in a letter to lawmakers Sunday that the bill passed by parliament earlier this month “did not give fair treatment” to Iraqis outside the country.

He said he “cannot approve the law in its current form” and demanded changes in order to ensure greater representation for voters outside of Iraq.

Most of the estimated 2 million Iraqis who fled the violence in their homeland are Sunni Arabs. The vast majority now live in Jordan and Syria.