Iraq: cancellation of a meeting of Parliament at the request of the Prime Minister

BAGHDAD - Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has waived Monday to demand a meeting of Parliament on the fate of 500 candidates excluded from the elections after being assured that a panel of judges would decide their case before the start of the campaign on February 12 election.

•    The Vice-Chairman of Parliament Khaled al-Attiya announced the cancellation of the special session after receiving a letter from Mr. Maliki.
  
     "We received a letter from Prime Minister thanking members for their attendance at the session (...), indicating that the panel of judges had decided to immediately begin the study of appeals of "the excluded candidates, not after the elections ," said Attiya.
  
     In his letter, Mr. Maliki said that postponing the bidding process after the elections "represent a threat to the political process and to democracy".
  
     Iraqi leaders, including Mr. Maliki had called Saturday to the seven judges to decide prior to the election campaign on February 12 on the decision to prohibit the participation in elections to more than 500 candidates suspected of sympathy with the Baath.
  
     The judges of the Court of Appeal had decided Wednesday that the candidate excluded from mid-January parliamentary elections by the Committee for Integrity and Justice had the right to participate in elections and said they would review their records after the election.
  
     If it turns out that they are Baathists - name of the Baath Party of former President Saddam Hussein - they will be eliminated.
  
     This decision provoked the fury of Shiite parties.
  
  Ennaharonline/ M. O.