Iraq has lifted a ban on nearly 500 candidates barred from the March election for alleged links to the late Saddam Hussein's Baathist party. <br/><br/>The state-run television Iraqia quoting Ali al-Lami, head of the Accountability and Justice Commission, said the seven-judge appeals panel liting the ban postponed the review demands submitted by some of the banned politicians to check their charges till after the March 7 elections. <br/><br/>Al-Lami said President Jalal Talabani had asked for the ban to be lifted. Last month, the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission said that more than 500 politicians were banned from running in the national vote over alleged links to Saddam's Baath party.