Iraq election body awaits parliament decision

BAGHDAD, Oct 7 (Reuters) - The head of Iraq's independent election commission said on Sunday that parliament needs to pass legislation to set out voting procedures before the body can announce a date for elections.

A referendum had been scheduled for this year to decide the fate of ethnically mixed Kirkuk and provincial elections are planned across Iraq, part of a package of steps aimed at securing political reconciliation.

But the United States said last month Iraq had not made satisfactory progress towards adopting a provincial election law or setting a date for the vote.

"In terms of Kirkuk's referendum, the length of preparation needed depends on what procedure is used to determine eligible voters," Faraj al-Haideri, head of the Independent High Election Commission, told Reuters.

Haideri said lawmakers had yet to decide whether to use a 1957 census for the city, produce a new census or depend on lists used by the trade ministry to issue food rations as a way of determining who is eligible to vote.

"Each outcome would need different times to prepare for the referendum but I suspect they may decide to use the 1957 census. If they use this census then I estimate we in the commission would need around two months to prepare the vote," he said.

Haideri's comments come more than a fortnight after parliament's deputy speaker Khaled al-Attiya said the electoral body had informed parliament it needed at least six months to set up a vote.