Iraq’s premier warned Wednesday that April legislative polls may be delayed as he pushed for a controversial election law to be amended after electoral chiefs suddenly quit complaining of political interference.

Iraq's premier warned Wednesday that April legislative polls may be delayed as he pushed for a controversial election law to be amended after electoral chiefs suddenly quit complaining of political interference.

The electoral officials are pressing for the same reform to the law ahead of the scheduled April 30 vote, amid doubts the polls can in any case be held countrywide as anti-government fighters still control a town on Baghdad's doorstep.

Much is at stake as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki bids for a third term with his security credentials badly damaged by a surge in violence to levels not seen since 2008, and the country battles to rebuild its conflict-battered economy and boost oil production.

Diplomats have said that even though the Independent High Electoral Commission's nine-member board resigned en masse on Tuesday the vote was unlikely to be delayed as all major political parties had agreed it had to take place on time.

But the mere prospect of a postponement has sparked concern, with Maliki warning that "if IHEC stays this way, that means ... the election will be delayed".