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| Iraq |
| Iraq officials bar nearly 500 candidates from poll |
| 2010-01-15 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Iraq's election organizers on Thursday barred nearly 500 politicians and parties from contesting the country's upcoming national poll, including many linked to Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath party. "We decided this afternoon to exclude around 500 names and political entities from the list of candidates," said Hamdia Husseini, a senior official with the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). Husseini did not specifically mention the Baath party, but said the excluded candidates "fell under the law of the committee of justice and integrity" which bars Saddam loyalists from taking part in elections. She said those who had been barred had three days to appeal the decision, during which time they could also present an alternative list of names to contest the March 7 vote. |
| Posted by:Fred |