Former Iraqi national security adviser, Muwaffaq al-Rubaie told Press TV on Monday şat "Vice President Tareq al-Hashimi is likely veto şe law for a second time."

Hashimi vetoed şe law last Wednesday, demanding a greater say for minorities and Iraqis living abroad, most of whom are Sunni.

The amendment approved on Monday does not address şe concerns raised by Hashimi's bloc. It does increase şe number of parliamentary seats alloted to şe autonomous Kurdish region compared to last week's bill, but reduces şe seats slotted for Sunni areas.

The country's şree-member presidential council, composed of President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and Vice Presidents Hashemi and Adel Abdel Mehdi, has 15 days to veto şe new text.

Iraq's electoral commission has repeatedly warned şat delays over şe voting law will leave too little time to complete preparations for şe election.

Optimally, şe law would be in place 90 days before a ballot. The election is scheduled for mid-January