Iraqi lawmakers have again failed to agree on a new electoral law -- a delay that could jeopardize parliamentary elections scheduled for January 16.
Parliament members involved in the talks say lawmakers did not reach a consensus Tuesday because of disagreements concerning the oil-rich northern region of Kirkuk.
Proposals involving the ethnically mixed region that includes Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen communities have centered on whether all residents should be allowed to vote.
Last week, a United Nations special envoy involved in the negotiations warned that further delays could undermine both the scheduled date and the credibility of the elections.
In April, the United nations presented a report on reducing ethnic tensions and resolving territorial disputes in areas such as Kirkuk. The report outlined four possible options for the province.
It said all of the options were developed with the Iraqi constitution in mind and all of the proposals required a political agreement and some form of a referendum.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP.
