Last month I commented on the ongoing quest by the Iraqis to pass a new electoral law to facilitate elections next year (that were supposed to be held in January). Matthew Shugart has also commented on the situation here and here.
A new version of the law has been passed, which reportedly will allow for elections on the 27th of February. Via the BBC: New Iraqi election law approved. The only detail mentioned by the report is that that parliament will go from 275 to 325 seats.
The LAT (Iraq lawmakers approve election law) has the following:
The law provides for a 325-seat parliament and for voters to cast ballots for individual candidates as opposed to being allowed to vote only for a coalition or party slate as in the previous two national elections in 2005.
The law also allows for Iraqi citizens outside the country to cast ballots that count in their home provinces.
In regards to the voting process, my understanding is that this will be some sort of open list system, the exact nature of which is unclear (see the first of the two Shugart links above).
The Sydney Morning Herald reports the following (White House intervenes to settle Iraq election deal):
Under the deal, seats were distributed according to population data from 2005, which accounted for a nationwide 2.8 per cent population increase. Christians and other minorities get eight at-large seats, and the top vote getters are allowed to distribute seven additional at-large seats.
Also, the votes of Iraqis overseas will be counted in their province of origin.
