BAGHDAD, July 21 (UPI) -- The Iraqi Parliament ended its Monday session without holding a vote on a draft law for provincial elections, now delayed until December, lawmakers said.

U.S. and Iraqi officials see the passage of the election laws as a major step toward national reconciliation. Parliament approved a draft provision in April, and Iraqi law mandates a vote within 90 days.

"The draft law is expected to be voted on during Tuesday's session," Nour al-Din al-Heyali of the Iraqi Accordance Front said in a statement to Voices of Iraq.

The Sunni Accordance Front returned to the Iraqi government Saturday after a near yearlong boycott.

Meanwhile, the independent Iraqi High Electoral Commission announced it would postpone the provincial elections until the end of the year, following discussions with U.N. officials.

"The elections were put off until Dec. 22, whether the provincial councils law is endorsed by the Parliament or not," IHEC member Hamdiya al-Husseini said.

Husseini said his team made the decision "in order to run fair and transparent elections that comply with international standards."

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