Usama al-Nujaifi with the Iraqi National List led by former Shiite Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said Arab and Turkmen lawmakers backed the measure in session as "one of the political solutions for resolving (the) Kirkuk issue," but Kurdish members rejected the move on principle, Voices of Iraq reported.

The issue pertains to Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution, a three-step process that reverses the "Arabization" of Kirkuk when Saddam Hussein tried to influence demographics in the city.

Kurdish lawmaker Alla Talabani said his bloc "categorically rejected the proposal" and called on the United Nations to intervene if the issue remain unsettled.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said a new Cabinet would make state-building and the rule of law a priority in the coming months.

"Our efforts in the coming stage should concentrate on building the state's institutions, depending on experience and qualification, and reinforcing law superiority, along with the rebuilding efforts and improving services," a statement from Maliki's office read.

The prime minister said recent military operations in Mosul, Basra and Baghdad's Sadr City targeted those who sought to undermine the authority of the Iraqi government and the stability of the state.

"The national agreement was not against anyone, but for the country, people, and law superiority's interest, and we harvested the fruits of combating and facing challenges," he noted.

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