Iraq's ballot process was thrown back into uncertainty Thursday after election officials asked the nation's highest judicial authority for a final ruling on whether to open next month's balloting to hundreds of candidates banned because of suspected ties to Saddam Hussein's regime. The request by the election commission could re-ignite feuds between Shiite-led authorities and Sunnis who claim they are being politically undermined before March 7 parliamentary elections – which US officials hope could be a milestone in reconciliation among Iraq's rival groups. Just a day earlier, Sunni leaders were celebrating an appeals court decision to temporarily set aside the election blacklist – with more than 450 names – and allow the candidates on the ballot. The ruling called for authorities to wait until after the voting to resume probes into possible ties to Saddam's Sunni-dominated regime. Shiite officials, including Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's political bloc, denounced the court ruling as a violation of Iraq's drive to purge all high-level posts of any ties to Saddam's Baath party. The election commission chief, Faraj Al-Haidari, said Thursday the Supreme Judicial Council is being asked whether the appeals court ruling is binding. There was no deadline for a decision, but there is pressure for a quick reply. The official campaign period was scheduled to open Sunday, but it's now been pushed back until Feb. 12, said Hamdiya al-Husseini, a member of the election commission. Iraq's parliament has scheduled an emergency session for Sunday to discuss the turmoil. In the meantime, tensions are expected to grow. Both sides of the Sunni-Shiite divide traded sharp words even before the announcement of the election commission action. Government spokesman Ali Al-Dabbagh said postponing the vetting of candidates until after the election was “illegal” by allowing possible Baath sympathizers into the political process.
