[07/February/2010]

BAGHDAD, Feb. 6 (Saba) -- Top Iraqi leaders on Saturday demanded the appeals panel to review the cases of hundreds of barred candidates to run in the March 7 parliamentary elections in no later than February 12, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's office said in a statement.

The leaders demand came after a meeting held in Maliki's office and was attended by him and the parliament speaker Ayad al- Samarraie and the head of the Higher Judicial Council Judge Medhatt and al-Mahmoud, along with the Kurdish Deputy Prime Minister Rosh Nouri Shaways as representative for President Jalal Talabani, said the statement posted on the website of Maliki's office.

It said the leaders agreed that appeals panel should get the required details to look into the evidences of the charges against the barred candidates, providing that the panel will fulfill its mission in no later than the date of the elections campaign due on February 12.

It is not yet clear whether the panel appointed by the country' s Higher Judicial Council could fulfill its mission within six days after it decided to put off the review of the cases of barred candidates until after the election, giving a green light to the banned politicians to run in the elections.

The appeals panel was formed at the request of the Iraqi parliament to look into the charges of hundreds of banned candidates accused of alleged ties to Saddam Hussein's regime, preventing them from taking part in the country's general elections.

The ban list, submitted early last month by the controversial Accountability and Justice Commission in charge of vetting the candidates, has the names of some prominent Sunni lawmakers including Saleh al-Mutlaq, head of the National Dialogue Front. The party joins with other secular parties to contest the election.

The Iraqi parliament was to convene for an extra-ordinary session on Sunday at the request of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to discuss the appeals panel's decision of allowing hundreds of banned candidates accused of alleged links to Saddam Baath party who were banned from participation in the country's political process, according to the Iraqi constitution.

Ali al-Dabbagh, the government spokesman said in a statement on Thursday that the government considered the appeals panel's decision to postpone the review as "illegal" and "unconstitutional. "

Saba