Iraqi parliament has passed a new version of a stalled electoral law, paving the way for elections, early next year. The deputy speaker of parliament Khalid al-Attiya has announced this after a marathon emergency session of parliament last night. According to al-Attiya, the law will expand parliament from 275 seats to 325 seats. While 310 seats will be allotted to Iraq's 18 provinces, remainder will be reserved for religious minorities and blocs that did not win seats.The polls, originally scheduled for 16 January, have been delayed because of the failure by MPs to initially agree on the new law and then due to veto by vice-president Tariq al-Hashemi on an earlier election law, agreed by parliament last month. No definitive election date has yet been set but the United Nations has proposed February 27 as the most feasible date for parliamentary elections, nearly a month later than the deadline set by the constitution.AIR correspondent Dhirendra Ojha reports from Dubai that the new law will expand parliament from 275 seats to 325. While 310 seats will be allotted to Iraq's 18 provinces, remainder will be reserved for religious minorities and blocs.The polls, originally scheduled for 16 January, have been delayed because of political differences among parliamentarians belonging to various ethnic groups and blocks and a veto by country’s vice-president. No definitive date has yet been set for the parliamentary elections while the United Nations has proposed 27 February next year as the most feasible date for voting, nearly a month later than the deadline set by the constitution.