Written question asked by Llew Smith (Labour) on Tuesday, 27 January 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 4 February 2004. It was answered by Mike O'Brien (Labour) on Wednesday, 4 February 2004 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether former members of the Iraqi Ba'ath party will be permitted to stand for election in Iraq under the proposed arrangements being negotiated with the Iraq Governing Council.

Answer: Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether former members of the Iraqi Ba'ath party will be permitted to stand for election in Iraq under the proposed arrangements being negotiated with the Iraq Governing Council. [151973] Mr. Mike O'Brien: The process of de-Ba'athification is an Iraqi led process. Guidelines were announced by the Iraqi Governing Council on 11 January and provide a clear framework for this process. The Transitional Administrative Law, which will include the criteria for nomination to the Transitional National Assembly, is in the final stages of drafting. It is likely to follow the existing practice that nominees shall not have been a member of the dissolved Ba'ath Party at the rank of Division Member (uthu firqah) or higher--unless exempted by the National De Ba'athification Commission--or a member of the past agencies of repression, or one who participated in the oppression of citizens.

Secondary information