Baghdad  - Two Iraqi lawmakers made a final call on fellow MPs Tuesday to vote for the US security pact that would allow US forces to remain another three years - while Sunni opponents threatened to boycott the vote.

Deputy Vice Prime Minister Barham Saleh and Rafea al-Eissawi held a joint press conference and called other lawmakers to put differences behind them and seek what they said was good for Iraq.

"This is a dangerous national matter and all the political entities in the country have to come together on it," said Saleh, a member of the Kurdish alliance.

The US-Iraqi security pact, also known as Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), paves the way for continued US and coalition presence in Iraq beyond the end of the UN mandate at the end of 2008.

"The parliament will settle the destiny of the agreement on Wednesday and we are working with our allies in the US in order to issue a decree that would ensure full immunity for Iraqi assets such as selling crude oil," added Saleh.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Accord Front, the largest Sunni bloc in parliament with 44 seats, announced that it would not attend the parliament session unless its demands were met.

"Several meetings have been taking place this (Tuesday) evening. We are waiting from the government's reply for our and other bloc's demands," said Rashid al-Azzawy.

"If what we asked for is not taken in consideration, we will not attend the session and we will ask to postpone after Eid al-Adha," added al-Azzawy, referring to the four-day Muslim feast set to start on December 8.

The 275-member assembly is expected to vote Wednesday by a show of hands on the wide-ranging accord, which would require US troops to withdraw from Iraqi cities by the end of June and from the rest of the country by the end of 2011.

The measure enjoys the support of the United Iraqi Alliance, the Kurdish alliance, and a number of independent parliamentarians, enough for it to pass with slightly more than the requisite simple majority of 138 votes.

"I do not think that the United Iraqi Alliance and the Kurdish alliance will pass the pact without the approval of other blocs," said al-Azzawy.

On Thursday evening an Iraqi parliamentary session was the scene of heated debate as lawmakers clashed over the controversial pact with the US. No vote was taken on the agreement.

The agreement, which mandates a withdrawal of US troops by 2011, needs parliamentary approval before it can be signed into law by the US and Iraqi presidents.

The pact has been criticized by many Iraqis including followers of the radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who protested against the agreement in Baghdad on Friday. (dpa)