Washington, June 28: US military commanders have ordered a halt to local elections and self-rule in provincial cities and towns across Iraq, choosing instead to install their own handpicked mayors and administrators. The order to stop planning for elections was made by Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of the 4th Infantry Division, which controls the northern half of Iraq, a media report said.
It follows similar decisions by the 3rd Infantry Division in central Iraq and those of British commanders in the south. Role in the selection of a municipal government. Top US civil administrator L Paul Bremer told a newspaper that there is "no blanket prohibition" against self-rule.
"I'm not opposed to it, but i want to do it a way that takes care of our concerns. . . . Elections that are held too early can be destructive. It's got to be done very carefully," he said. The decision has created resentment among local leaders and the population, who say the US-led occupation forces are not making good on their promise to bring greater freedom and democracy, said the newspaper in its report. Bureau Report