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07-04-2007, 04:29 AM
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Proposed oil law referred to Iraqi parliament for ratification - PM
Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said on Tuesday that the postwar first draft hydrocarbon law was ratified by his government and was send to the parliament for discussion.
"The Council of Ministers discussed and unanimously ratified, today, the most delicate and significant law for the present and future Iraq, i.e., the oil and gas law and it was referred for the parliament to make a first reading of it in tomorrow's session," Maliki told a news conference in Baghdad on Tuesday.
The Iraqi Premier also said "the cabinet made the first reading of the revenue-sharing draft law and making some amendments to it."
The government decided to hold an extraordinary session to re-discuss and vote on the revenue-sharing draft law on Thursday, the Prime Minister noted.
The oil and gas as well as the revenue-sharing laws are among four draft laws the Iraqi government is expected to send to the parliament before the end of July when the parliament's recess would start.
The local councils law and ending a ban on the former Bathists to assume public jobs and posts are the two remaining laws out of a package pressed by the U.S. administration on the Iraqi government to pass before the parliament would go in a recess.
"The current week will witness the reading and discussion of draft laws on amending the debathification law (a ban on former Bathists to assume public jobs and posts)
and the local councils elections law," Maliki told reporters.
The Prime Minister called upon political entities taking part in the political process to honor their obligations vis-à-vis the political program they had already agreed upon well in advance as its implementation would serve the partis' and Iraq's interests.
Maliki also said that the ministers from the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front were not present at the meeting where the vote on the oil and gas draft law was made.
"We were preparing for this law for months and the Accordance Front was present at all the meetings on the law. The Front was absent from today's meeting but the quorum was met and the law was unanimously ratified," Maliki added.
The Iraqi Accordance Front, 44 seats of a total of 275-member-parliament, had suspended it membership at the House and the government following an arrest warrant issued against one of its members on alleged charges of killing two sons of the secular Nation party leader Mithal al-Allousi.
Asked if the parliament would pass the oil and gas draft into law, Maliki replied "there is no real problem that would impede passing the law at parliament as it came in harmony with much of our expectations."
"It is a law that will serve all the communities and sects of the Iraqi people," the Iraqi Prime Minister concluded.
Earlier on Tuesday, the state-run al-Iraqiya satellite television said that the Iraqi government has approved the oil law and will send it to parliament for ratification.
The television quoted the official spokesman for the Iraqi government, Ali al-Dabbagh, as saying that the oil law was approved after some amendments from the Iraqi government.
The channel did not add further details.
An official source from the oil ministry said last month that an agreement was reached between the federal government in Baghdad and Kurdish officials regarding the controversial issues in the draft law.
The cabinet approved a draft oil law last February but faced fierce opposition from Iraqi Kurds.
The draft oil and gas law for the management of oil resources has been considered one of the most controversial issues in Iraq, and there are differences among political blocs on the law, concerning the equitable distribution of revenue.
The law, if approved by the parliament, will give Iraqi and foreign investors the right to set up establishments and oil refineries and use them for 50 years.
Most of Iraq's known oil reserves are located in the Shiite-dominated south and the Kurdish north.
Iraq sits on the world's third-largest oil reserves and officials have sought, since last year, to finalize the draft.
The law is vital for attracting foreign investment to Iraq, to boost its oil output and rebuild its economy.
Recent disputes have arisen after Iraq’s oil ministry warned regions in late April against signing contracts until the law was passed.
The Kurdistan regional government has signed several agreements with foreign companies.
http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/19023
Proposed oil law referred to Iraqi parliament for ratification - PM
Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said on Tuesday that the postwar first draft hydrocarbon law was ratified by his government and was send to the parliament for discussion.
"The Council of Ministers discussed and unanimously ratified, today, the most delicate and significant law for the present and future Iraq, i.e., the oil and gas law and it was referred for the parliament to make a first reading of it in tomorrow's session," Maliki told a news conference in Baghdad on Tuesday.
The Iraqi Premier also said "the cabinet made the first reading of the revenue-sharing draft law and making some amendments to it."
The government decided to hold an extraordinary session to re-discuss and vote on the revenue-sharing draft law on Thursday, the Prime Minister noted.
The oil and gas as well as the revenue-sharing laws are among four draft laws the Iraqi government is expected to send to the parliament before the end of July when the parliament's recess would start.
The local councils law and ending a ban on the former Bathists to assume public jobs and posts are the two remaining laws out of a package pressed by the U.S. administration on the Iraqi government to pass before the parliament would go in a recess.
"The current week will witness the reading and discussion of draft laws on amending the debathification law (a ban on former Bathists to assume public jobs and posts)
and the local councils elections law," Maliki told reporters.
The Prime Minister called upon political entities taking part in the political process to honor their obligations vis-à-vis the political program they had already agreed upon well in advance as its implementation would serve the partis' and Iraq's interests.
Maliki also said that the ministers from the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front were not present at the meeting where the vote on the oil and gas draft law was made.
"We were preparing for this law for months and the Accordance Front was present at all the meetings on the law. The Front was absent from today's meeting but the quorum was met and the law was unanimously ratified," Maliki added.
The Iraqi Accordance Front, 44 seats of a total of 275-member-parliament, had suspended it membership at the House and the government following an arrest warrant issued against one of its members on alleged charges of killing two sons of the secular Nation party leader Mithal al-Allousi.
Asked if the parliament would pass the oil and gas draft into law, Maliki replied "there is no real problem that would impede passing the law at parliament as it came in harmony with much of our expectations."
"It is a law that will serve all the communities and sects of the Iraqi people," the Iraqi Prime Minister concluded.
Earlier on Tuesday, the state-run al-Iraqiya satellite television said that the Iraqi government has approved the oil law and will send it to parliament for ratification.
The television quoted the official spokesman for the Iraqi government, Ali al-Dabbagh, as saying that the oil law was approved after some amendments from the Iraqi government.
The channel did not add further details.
An official source from the oil ministry said last month that an agreement was reached between the federal government in Baghdad and Kurdish officials regarding the controversial issues in the draft law.
The cabinet approved a draft oil law last February but faced fierce opposition from Iraqi Kurds.
The draft oil and gas law for the management of oil resources has been considered one of the most controversial issues in Iraq, and there are differences among political blocs on the law, concerning the equitable distribution of revenue.
The law, if approved by the parliament, will give Iraqi and foreign investors the right to set up establishments and oil refineries and use them for 50 years.
Most of Iraq's known oil reserves are located in the Shiite-dominated south and the Kurdish north.
Iraq sits on the world's third-largest oil reserves and officials have sought, since last year, to finalize the draft.
The law is vital for attracting foreign investment to Iraq, to boost its oil output and rebuild its economy.
Recent disputes have arisen after Iraq’s oil ministry warned regions in late April against signing contracts until the law was passed.
The Kurdistan regional government has signed several agreements with foreign companies.
http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/19023