BAGHDAD -- Iraq's head election official, Qasim al-Abbudi, has said that officials are extending the period for political parties and movements to register for next year's national elections, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq reports.
Abbudi said the current deadline of September 6 would likely be extended to September 13, since the number of political organizations expressing a desire to compete in the January parliamentary elections is more than in the 2005 poll, when 228 political groups took part.
Iraqi electoral officials have extended the registration deadline twice so far. Originally all parties and movements had until August 16. That was moved back to August 30, then to September 6.