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BAGHDAD — Iraq’s prime minister on Sunday defended a ban of candidates with alleged ties to Saddam Hussein’s former regime, calling it a legitimate decision that would not affect Sunni turnout at the polls.
In an interview, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki also said he did not see any need at this point for U.S. forces to stay in the country past their planned departure date next year.
Al-Maliki, who came to power in 2006 as a compromise candidate, has overseen a return to relative stability since the height of the insurgency, but he is facing stiff competition in his bid for another four-year term.
