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Amended Iraqi election law still angers Sunnis
Iraq's parliament amended the country's vetoed election law on Monday with a version that failed to appease Sunni Arabs, who fear they are being marginalized.
The outcome prompted predictions of another veto and a delay in the elections slated for January.
The dispute highlights the ethnic and sectarian divisions in Iraq. While more secure than in past years of war, the country has yet to achieve the political reconciliation vital to long-term stability.
Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni, vetoed the law because he wanted more seats for Iraqis living abroad, most of whom are Sunnis. The minority, dominant under Saddam Hussein, has seen its privileged status evaporate since the ouster of the dictator and the election of a government led by the Shiite majority.
After days of intense negotiations by political blocs, lawmakers voted to change the basis for distributing seats, most likely giving more seats to the powerful Kurdish bloc rather than to the Sunnis.