Baghdad // Iraq's parliament has lifted a ban on three Sunni Muslim politicians who had been kept from running in national elections in March because of accusations they had ties to Saddam Hussein's ousted regime.
Today's vote brings Iraq closer to getting a unity government after months of political turmoil.
One of the three politicians is Saleh al Mutlaq, a former lawmaker and vocal critic of Shiite prime minister Nouri al Maliki.
Mr Al Mutlaq was the most prominent of hundreds of candidates who were barred from the elections after a Shiite-led panel said they had been members of Saddam's outlawed Baath Party.
The ban was seen as a Shiite attempt to monopolize Iraq's government.
Mr al Mutlaq is expected to join the new government that Mr al Maliki plans to announce on Monday.
