Kirkuk - Arab politicians in the disputed northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Saturday called for parliamentary elections there to be postponed for three months.

"In the event of a failure to reach a political consensus to resolve the crisis in Kirkuk, the political council of the Arabs of Kirkuk requests the postponement of legislative elections for a limited period not to exceed three months," a group of leading Iraqi Arab politicians from Kirkuk said in a written statement.

Fresh parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place nationwide in mid-January, though an increasing number of Iraqi politicians have discussed postponing them nationwide to settle the question of voting in Kirkuk.

The call for the delay came as debate on a new Iraqi election law remained snagged on the thorny issue of voting in the disputed city. Many Iraqi Kurds hope to make Kirkuk, and its nearby oilfields, the capital of a future independent state. Iraqi Arab and Turkman politicians regard the region as an integral party of Iraq.

Kirkuk and surrounding al-Tamim province were left out of voting in the 2005 parliamentary elections and last January's provincial polls after lawmakers failed to agree on a formula for voting in the contested province.

The council called on the parliament to resolve the question "in the interests of preserving the unity of Iraq."

Last week, the matter was referred to Iraq's Political Council for National Unity, a body comprised of Iraq's top politicians from a variety of sectarian backgrounds and political interests, after lawmakers repeatedly failed to put the matter to a vote.

"Bringing the standoff to (the council) might help in finding appropriate solutions," Saturday's statement said.

"But the responsibility for finding a lasting solution remains with lawmakers, who will demonstrate to Iraqis and the world their patriotism and their constant quest to thwart those who would divide the country," the politicians said.

The politicians accused Kirkuk's Kurdish population of seeking to "fragment" the city and of trying to "pry Kirkuk from ... Iraq" following the discovery of oil nearby, with financing from regional powers.

"Our proposed solution is to give the central and provincial governments time to improve security and stability in this province, and to spare Iraq much instability," their statement said.

Some lawmakers have suggested putting a draft elections law to a parliamentary vote, rather than seeking a consensus among Iraq's leading political blocs.

The Iraqi constitution requires a new parliament to be elected 45 days before the expiry of the previous, four-year term. (dpa)