LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) – Iraq will be allowed to participate in the Beijing games after the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday rescinded its suspension of the country’s Olympic association.

The decision came after last-minute talks during which an Iraqi government delegation pledged to hold free elections for its national Olympic committee under international observation.

The deadline to submit competitors’ names for athletics events expires Wednesday.

Iraq is expected to send two athletes to Beijing. Five others lost their chance to go when the final date to select competitors for archery, judo, rowing and weightlifting passed last week.

“The National Olympic Committee will have fair elections before the end of November,” said Pere Miro, head of the IOC’s department for relations with national Olympic committees.

Until then, Iraq’s Olympic organization will be run by an interim committee proposed by its national sports federations and approved by the IOC, he said.

“We want to forget all the past,” Iraq’s government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said after signing the agreement in front of journalists. “We want to have real representation for the Iraqi teams and the Iraqi supporters.”

The IOC suspended Iraq in May citing political interference in the country’s national Olympic committee, which the government had dissolved over allegations of corruption.

Basil Abdul Mahdi, an adviser to the Ministry of Youth and Sport, said last week there would be “no retreat” in Baghdad’s decision to replace the disbanded Olympic committee. The hardline stance prompted concern that Iraq would not be represented in Beijing.

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written by Andrew