US opposes disqualifying Baathists from elections

The United States has again expressed opposition to disqualifying members of the Saddam Hussein’s former Baath party from upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections.

The US insists that Baathists should be allowed to return to the political process in the war-torn Iraq.

The US opposition came after Iraq’s Accountability and Justice Commission disqualified 500 people over having ties to the outlawed Baath party of the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

The proposal is opposed by large numbers of Iraqi people, as well as the country’s political parties. The people of Iraq have held protest rallies against the US and the former Baathists several times.

Amid the election row, US Vice President Joe Biden paid a visit to Baghdad in late January to talk with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki about the disqualification of the candidates.

His visit was aimed at persuading Iraqi officials to reverse the ban on candidates with links to the Baath party.

According to Iraq’s Justice and Accountability Commission head, Ahmed Chalabi, Washington is supporting the return of former Baath party members to power to counter what they call Iran’s influence in the country.

Chalabi told Press TV last week that what motivates the United States to back the return of Baathists to power is “their continuing conflict with Iran.”

“They think that the presence of Baathists in the parliament of Iraq would be an important card in their hands to stop the so-called spreading influence of Iran in Iraq,” Chalabi said.