"Those guys are everywhere, but they are not under our control, " said Saleh Mohamed, the softly spoken leader of the Kurdish Democratic Union - the most powerful party here.

BBC: Crisis in Syria boosts Kurdish hopes

Howlett told CNN the 268 people currently held did not include a number of crew members from two further Yemeni ships that are under pirate control, as they had not been formally reported to the IMB by their owners.

CNN: Hostages to spend Christmas with pirates

All kinds of relationships members have with lobbyists are under pressure now in ways they have not been since the Republicans seized control of Congress in 1994.

NPR: Signs of a Wider, Deeper Scandal in Congress

Besides the crucial city of Kidal, which is now under the de facto rule of the rebel National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad, numerous towns and villages are still not fully under the government's control, making it unclear how they will carry out the vote.

NPR: Mali Sets Date For Presidential Election In July