Baghdad- Iraq's Presidency Council announced Thursday that it has officially rejected a key provincial election legislative bill which aims at shifting more powers to Iraq's under-represented political and sectarian groups.

Parliament had passed the bill on Tuesday amid strong objections with lawmakers from a Kurdish and Shiite blocs walking out.

Kurds objected to a secret ballot on a provision in the bill over the disputed city of Kirkuk, which they are seeking to integrate into Iraq's Kurdish Autonomous Region.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, himself a Kurd, and Vice-President Adel Abdel-Mahdi, a Shiite Muslim, discussed on Wednesday the election law, according to a statement from Talabani's office issued on Thursday.

"They agreed that the provincial election law contains constitutional and procedural violations, which are harmful to the climate of national accord," the statement said.

Both sides have agreed to officially reject the law, the statement said, as they wait for the view of Vice-President Tariq al-Hashimi, who is third member of the Presidency Council.

Al-Hashimi is the leader of the Sunni Arab Iraqi Islamic Party with constituents, who stand to benefit from provincial elections.

Sunni Arabs boycotted the 2005 election and are hence underrepresented in provincial councils and the national political scene.

With the council's veto provincial election, which was slated for October 1, is expected to be delayed. (dpa)