Iraqis constitution shows democratic process
Iraq, Politics, 8/23/2005

Leaders of political blocs in Iraq continued consultations to settle pending issues in order to finish drafting the constitution and submitted it to the parliament before the end of the grace period set on Monday midnight.

Certain news reports reported that the leaders reached agreements concerning the role of religion in the constitution, and the distribution of resources among Iraqis, while differences are still ongoing related to the issue on de-Baathification (removal of the remnants of the Bath party that ruled Iraq under Saddam Hussein), federalism and distribution of power between the central government and the provinces, the rights of women.

The Shiite leader on the constitution drafting committee Abbas al-Bayati said that the representatives of the Sunni Arabs will be meeting on Monday later in the day with other political sides to solve so remaining issues and that the draft would be be submitted on Monday evening to the parliament.

Member of the committee for the Kurdish list Munzir al-Fadel said that the Kurds are still insistent to their demands and will not give them up, including their right to self determination.

The New York TImes reported today that "The head of the committee drafting Iraq's constitution said Tuesday that three days are not enough to win over the Sunni Arabs, and the document they rejected may ultimately have to be approved by parliament as is and taken to the people in a referendum. Iraqi leaders completed a draft Monday night and submitted it to parliament, but -- just minutes from a midnight deadline -- lawmakers delayed a vote to give negotiators time to persuade Sunni Arabs to accept it."

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice congratulated Iraq and its constitutional committee on the submission of a draft constitution to the Transitional National Assembly August 22.

"The process by which Iraqis have reached this point is historic and in the best tradition of democracy," Rice said in a written statement following the submission of the document. "From Iraq's first free elections in January, to the creation of an inclusive transitional government in the spring, to today's draft constitution, free Iraqis have shown determination and resolve in the face of extremism and violence."

The constitutional committee submitted the document to the Transitional National Assembly shortly before the midnight deadline with the provision that the committee may propose amendments to the text over the next three days. The negotiators hope to resolve these issues to all parties' satisfaction in order to ensure the broadest support for the document. "In a statesmanlike decision, the men and women of the Assembly have decided to use the next three days to continue reaching out to build the broadest national consensus for Iraq's new Constitution," Rice said.

Previous Stories:
  Tareq Aziz meets family: I am not concerned about trial   (8/22/2005)
  Arab Sunnis demand pressure for a united Iraq   (8/22/2005)
  Calls to reject federalism in Iraq, sharing resources through law   (8/20/2005)
  A constitution for Iraq   (7/2/2005)

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