Protestors accuse political bigwigs of hijacking Iraq's interim congress

[Barrett808]

Protestors accuse US-chosen political bigwigs of hijacking Iraq's interim legislature

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Some 450 delegates at a key national conference accused the main political parties of hijacking a scheduled vote for a new interim legislature for Iraq, saying most members were chosen long ago in secret.

Many of them threatened to quit the conference on its last day unless the voting mechanism was changed, before Fuad Maasum, head of the event's preparatory committee, agreed to put the voting procedure itself to a vote.

"The mainstream political parties have dominated the conference and have already drawn up their lists for selecting the national council," said Aziz al-Yasseri, from the broad coalition National Democratic Movement.

...

"We refuse this and if this is not dealt with today then the whole conference will fall apart and I will walk out, with hundreds with me," added Yasseri, a Shiite Muslim from Baghdad nominated for the council.

...

Yasseri accused them of hooking up with "fly-by-night political parties" and pressuring those from civil organisations and independent delegates to join them on the closed lists that were to be voted on.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040817/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_politics_conference

Mods: I changed "legislature" to "congress" 'cause the title wouldn't fit.

[mom cat]

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