Arab Sunnis demand pressure for a united Iraq
Iraq, Politics, 8/22/2005

The representatives for the Arab Sunnis in the Iraqi constitution draft committee issued a statement in which they called on the USA and the UN to pressure the Shiite and the Kurds so as not to approve the draft constitution at the parliament.

The Sunni members in the committee protested against "margining" them by the Kurds and the Shiite saying that they finalized "deals without them." The statement read that "few hours are left to declare the draft constitution, and still we do not see serious and effective coordination to draft it," noting that the committee since last Monday called them just for one meeting held on Friday." The secretary general of the Iraqi Islamic Party, Tareq al-Hashimi, said that the committee will hold a final meeting today at noon. The meeting will be attended by leaders of parties and political blocs in order to discuss latest steps reached by the representatives of the Kurdistani alliance and the united Iraqi coalition.

Al-Hashemi added that the Sunni members in the committee so far have not participated effectively in discussing the sticking points before announcing the postponement of the draft constitution.

He attributed that to what they felt the "Kurds and Shiite single out in serious negotiations to settle the government's program without consulting the third party ( The Arab Sunni)," calling on the Iraqi people to be the deciding element in accepting or rejecting the constitution.

It is not clear if those who have always had an interest in a creating a weak Iraq, broken into separate entities, have taken cover by supporting the demands of the Kurds and lately some Shiites for federalism, in order to encourage such a course of action. Today, is the last day for the submission of the draft constitution. If no agreement takes place on the draft, and the draft is not submitted as is to parliament, then it is most likely that another time extension will be granted to finish the draft constitution.

Previous Stories:
  International Herald Tribune: Iraq's effect on US internal elections politics   (8/20/2005)
  Calls to reject federalism in Iraq, sharing resources through law   (8/20/2005)
  Rumsfeld: Iraqi constitutional process will succeed   (8/18/2005)
  Calls to divide Iraq on religious-ethnic lines rejected   (8/12/2005)

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