Iraq: Appeals Court Modifies Election Reinstatement

In yet another election twist, the Iraqi appeals court that last week overturned the electoral blacklist appears to have reconsidered its decision, announcing that it will only reevaluate 177 disqualified candidates who formally submitted appeals rather than the full list of over 500. The panel is expected to issue a final ruling by February 12.

The New York Times is also reporting that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, after meeting with parliamentary leaders and members of the judiciary, has accepted the court’s jurisdiction over electoral matters after previously denouncing its ruling as “unconstitutional” last week. Although it remains unclear whether this indicates the government’s willingness to capitulate to the appeals court regardless of the nature of its forthcoming decision, the issue may largely be mute; Reuters reveals that of the 177 candidates who lodged an appeal, 140 were disqualified for administrative reasons, leaving only 37 to be evaluated by the court.