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Iraq's parliament has voted to reject a draft law that allows troops from Britain, Australia and several other countries to remain beyond the end of this year, Iraqi parliamentarians said.
Hussein al-Falluji, a member of the Sunni Accordance Front, said the draft law, under which troops would withdraw by the end of July, was rejected because lawmakers objected to it being in the form of legislation, rather than an agreement - as was the deal Iraq signed with the United States.
Mr Falluji said: "Legally, relations between two countries cannot be organised by a law. They should be arranged, according to international law, through treaties or agreements."
"For this reason parliament rejected this law. It was a big mistake by the government."
Both the law governing the British presence and the security pact allowing the 140,000 US soldiers in the country to remain three more years replace a UN mandate that expires on December 31.
Nassir al-Issawi, a lawmaker loyal to anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who wants an immediate end to what he sees as a foreign occupation, said: "What the parliament did today, rejecting the bill, was a great national achievement."
He added: "We believe that British forces and all other forces should pack their things."
Hussein al-Falluji, a member of the Sunni Accordance Front, said the draft law, under which troops would withdraw by the end of July, was rejected because lawmakers objected to it being in the form of legislation, rather than an agreement - as was the deal Iraq signed with the United States.
Mr Falluji said: "Legally, relations between two countries cannot be organised by a law. They should be arranged, according to international law, through treaties or agreements."
"For this reason parliament rejected this law. It was a big mistake by the government."
Both the law governing the British presence and the security pact allowing the 140,000 US soldiers in the country to remain three more years replace a UN mandate that expires on December 31.
Nassir al-Issawi, a lawmaker loyal to anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who wants an immediate end to what he sees as a foreign occupation, said: "What the parliament did today, rejecting the bill, was a great national achievement."
He added: "We believe that British forces and all other forces should pack their things."
