US opposes delaying Iraqi elections

BAGHDAD: The United States supports holding Iraqi parliamentary elections on May 12 as planned by Iraq’s government, the US Embassy in Baghdad said on Thursday, criticising to return home to cast their ballots.

The session will resume on Saturday, according to parliamentary Speaker Salim al-Jabouri, when MPs may vote on the election date. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is seeking re-election, is pushing for the vote to be held on May 12. Abadi’s popularity among Iraq’s majority Arab community has risen after he successfully led a three-year fight against Islamic State militants, supported by a US-led coalition.

Washington also showed understanding for Abadi’s move to dislodge Kurdish fighters from the oil rich northern region of Kirkuk in October, even though the Kurds are traditional allies of the United States.

"The United States is providing assistance that will help ensure that all Iraqi voices are heard and counted, including the approximately 2.6 million Iraqis who remain displaced from their homes in the liberated areas", taken from Islamic State, the US embassy statement said.

The role of prime minister is reserved for the Arabs under a power-sharing system set up after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. The largely ceremonial office of president is reserved for a Kurdish member of parliament, while the speaker of parliament is drawn from among Sunni Arab MPs.