BAGHDAD, July 22 (Xinhua) - The Iraqi parliament approved on Tuesday a key election bill, despite a walk-out by lawmakers from the Kurdish coalition bloc, Iraqi official television reported.
The Iraqi state-run television said that the parliament passed the controversial bill in a closed-session.
Iraqi national reconciliation.

BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraq's parliament pushed through a law Tuesday meant to pave the way for U.S.-backed provincial elections that will redistribute regional power. But the measure was clouded by a Kurdish boycott, and critics predicted the ballot won't be held this year.
The measure still needs to be approved by Iraq's three-member presidential council, which is led by Kurdish President Jalal Talabani, adding significance to the Kurdish objections.
tory but considered by many Kurds to be part of their historical land — has been a major factor in stalling passage of the election law.

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq's parliament said on Tuesday it passed a key draft provincial election law that would allow voting to take place in the country's 18 provinces later this year.
The provincial elections -- seen by Washington as a key step towards achieving national reconciliation among Iraq's warring communities -- aims to offer more powers to Iraq's provinces, especially in economic projects.
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) - Iraq's parliament on Tuesday passed a law setting guidelines for provincial elections, despite a boycott by Kurdish lawmakers.
Many observers think President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, will vote against the measure.
would give groups such as Sunni Arabs more of a say in the country's politics.

KIRKUK - Gunmen shot dead an Iraqi journalist working for a Kurdish magazine in Kirkuk city, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad on Monday, police and the publication said.
KIRKUK - A roadside bomb killed a police lieutenant-colonel and wounded four of his guards on Monday in northern Kirkuk, police said.
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Rozhnama, Sulaymaniyah, daily newspaper in Sorani Kurdish run by Wisha Company of former Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) deputy leader Nawshirwan Mustafa.
1. Report: Spokesman of Kurdistan Alliance (KA) bloc in Iraqi parliament Friyad Rwanduzi says his bloc has reached an agreement with most of Shi'i parties and independent MPs to settle Kirkuk governorate election issue; the election bill is expected to be voted through today. [700 words, pp 1, 3]
Jordan Domestic violence Law. [800 words, p 11]

The Iraqi parliament has approved a law paving the way for provincial elections the government wants held in October.
But the parliamentary session was marked by a walk-out of Kurdish MPs.
p fears still grip Baghdad

AP BAGHDAD: The Iraqi parliament has passed a law meant to pave the way for provincial elections but a Kurdish boycott has cast doubt on its legitimacy.

By Karl Bostic, NBC News Producer Iraq's parliament passed a provincial elections bill on Tuesday despite a walkout by Kurdish parliamentarians angered over

A Kurdish independent journalist was murdered late yesterday in the northern city of Kirkuk, a city which historically belongs to the Kurds but now has been arabized by the former regime and is a disputed area.
Soran Mama Hama, the head of the Kirkuk's office of Kurdish-language magazine Leveen was murdered yesterday at 9:00 pm in front of his house in Rashid Awa village of Kirkuk, says Leveen magazine in a press release.
ª Parag Khanna to The Window: The US Has No Formal Alliance with The KRG

Iraq's Electoral Commission sent a letter to the country's parliament yesterday, warning that unless lawmakers move quickly and pass polling legislation, long-awaited provincial elections—supposed to occur before October 1—might not be held this year. The vote, if and when it happens, is an important linchpin in the American strategy to disperse political power from Baghdad to the local level, a move that would placate disgruntled Sunni groups that boycotted the 2005 election and, as a result, found themselves under the unwelcome jurisdiction of Shiite and Kurdish politicians—and their respective militias.
"We need at least three months after the law is passed to prepare

Brian Murphy AP BAGHDAD - Iraq's election authority proposed Sunday to delay important provincial balloting in an apparent sign of frustration over a political impasse that has stalled preparations for critical elections originally planned for this fall.
The provincial election plan - strongly backed by Washington - would shift more powers from Baghdad to the regions and is viewed by Sunni Arabs as path to gain more influence over decisions by the Shi'ite-dominated central government.
sh and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to set a "general time horizon" for bringing more troops home from the war was a sign of "healthy negotiations for a burgeoning democracy."