Iraqi parliament gears up to pass key draft laws

The Democrats better hope that nothing gets accomplished in the next week as inaction of the Iraqi Congress is the last credible talking point they have left.

Baghdad: The Iraqi parliament is preparing to debate controversial draft laws on oil and gas, accountability, justice, resources and the provinces.

According to Salim Abdullah, a member in the Sunni Accord Front, the parliament will approve the Accountability and Justice Laws concerning the return of the Baathists to senior administrative and military positions, in addition to the Provinces Law that will regulate this week's provincial elections that is a significant step towards forming federal regions in Iraq.

Abdullah added: "The Oil and Gas and the Resources Laws will be subjected to some [amendments and] yet it is likely that the laws will be approved by the parliament because of some understandings between [major] political blocs inside the parliament to legislate the laws."