Iraq is holding local and regional elections on March 7. On February 3, an Iraq appeals court restored approximately 500 candidates to the ballot. They had been removed from the ballot earlier because the elections administrators had thought they were too closely associated with Saddam Hussein’s government in the years before 1991. See this story. Some of these candidates might still be barred from taking office, if they win and are judged to be too closely associated with the old regime, but at least the voters will now have a free choice. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.