Iraqi lawmaker quits energy panel over oil law

Sat Jul 7, 2007 10:04AM EDT
BAGHDAD, July 7 (Reuters) - A member of Iraq's parliamentary
energy committee quit on Saturday in protest over a draft oil law,
which Washington hopes will help ease violence between Iraq's
warring Shi'ite and Sunni Arabs.
Usama al-Nujeyfi told a small news conference that the proposal
would cede too much control to global companies and "ruin the
country's future". He vowed to work to defeat the draft in
parliament.
"I announce my resignation and distance myself from delivering this
draft before this parliament and I will carry out my obligation to
repeal it inside parliament with all fellow nationalists," al-Nujeyfi
said.
The draft was passed by the cabinet of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri
al-Maliki on Tuesday and must be debated and agreed by parliament
before it can become law.

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