Shiite and Sunni members of Iraq’s parliament buried their differences on Saturday to pass a controversial bill allowing former officials of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party to return to public life.
The bill, regarded by Washington as vital to boosting reconciliation efforts in Iraq, had been stalled before parliament by hardline Shiites who demanded that it also include measures to compensate victims of Saddam’s regime.
It was passed unanimously by the 143 lawmakers present in the 275-member house.
The Justice and Accountability Law makes a distinction between two categories of Baath party officials who have been barred from state employment since the aftermath of the US-led invasion of March 2003.
Only senior party leaders who implemented the oppressive policies of the regime would remain subject to the ban. Middle-ranking officials not implicated in any crimes would be able to resume government jobs.
Tens of thousands of Baath officials were dismissed from state institutions after Saddam was ousted, leaving schools and government offices struggling for expertise and providing fertile ground for the anti-US insurgency.
The bill had been pending before parliament since March. Shiite MPs, especially those loyal to firebrand cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, say it is dangerous to allow former members of Saddam’s regime to hold positions of leadership.
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