Iraqi parliament delays vote on security pact

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 11-27-2008 10:08

Intense dealmaking among Iraq's political factions has delayed a vote on a security pact with the US.

The proposed deal would allow American forces to stay through 2011 under tight Iraqi supervision.

Iraqi parliament member Osama al-Najaifi, of the Iraqi National list, speaks to the press outside the Iraqi  parliament in Baghdad's fortified 'Green Zone' Wednesday, Nov. 26 2008.(AP Photo / Ali al-Saadi, Pool)

The Bush administration still expects the Iraqi parliament to approve the pact.

The vote was scheduled on Wednesday on the long-awaited Status of Forces Agreement to allow US army troops to stay in Iraq for another three years. But political parties in the parliament disagree on some of the conditions.

The vote was rescheduled for Thursday.

Barhim Salih, Deputy PM, said, "We are still working on finalizing the political agreement among the parliamentary blocs. Tonight, there will be what we hope to be the last round of discussion within the Arab Sunni bloc and we hope that tomorrow the agreement will be presented to parliament as well as an agreement on a package of political reform that the government and parliament will undertake to take."

According to Iraqi law, the draft pact must be passed through the parliament and then the presidency council to be valid.

The draft pact states, among other things, that US troops will withdraw from Iraq's cities, towns and villages to their bases by June 30th next year And they will leave the country on the last day of 2011.

For months, the two countries have been at odds over the agreement. The US needs the pact as a legitimate support for the station of its troops beyond 2008 after the current UN mandate ends on December 31st.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei