Iraqi Sunnis to foil draft constitution, US hints on amending it
Iraq-USA, Politics, 8/31/2005

The Sunnis Arab forces stressed their goal to foil the Iraqi draft constitution in the referendum to be held on October 15 this year. The official spokesman for the general conference for the Sunnis in Iraq, Adnan al-Duleimi, said that the Sunnis will spare no efforts to make sure that the draft constitution referendum for approval will not succeed.

Al-Duleimi indicated in a joint press conference with the American ambassador in Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad that the draft constitution does not reflect the ambitions of the Iraqi people.

The Sunni diplomat called for the resignation of the minister of the interior Bayan Jaber, and accused his forces of committing what he called crimes against the Sunnis, saying that the recent acts of killing against the Sunnis will only lead to more trouble.

For his part, the American ambassador to Iraq expected the introduction of other amendments to the draft constitution in the framework of efforts to win the support of the Sunnis for the constitution, saying that the final draft has not been submitted so far, calling for more dialogue among political parties.

In the first Shiite reaction to Zada statements, member of the constitution drafting committee Khaled al-Ateyah said he will not permit the introduction of new amendments to the constitution except those simple amendments pertinent to the official language of the country.

The Sunni member on the constitution drafting committee, who is also the official spokesman for the national dialogue council, Saleh al-Mutlaq, said that the Arab Sunnis in Iraq are seeking to form a front that includes others in addition to the Sunni Shiite trends so as to change the draft constitution which they oppose in its current formula.

Al-Mutlaq indicated efforts for cooperation and coordination with the Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sader in the very near future. He explained that the forces which stand against the draft constitution will shortly hold a national conference against the constitution project.

However, the constitution can fail adoption if two thirds of the voters of three Iraqi governorates vote against it in the coming referendum. The Arab Sunni supported by certain Shiite forces vowed to work for stop the constitution during the referendum to be held on October 15 for this purpose.

Previous Stories:
  US president optimism over Iraq's future   (8/30/2005)
  Talibani supports Iraqi constitution draft, Sunnis opposed   (8/29/2005)
  Comments on a constitution for Iraq, part 2   (8/27/2005)
  Comments on a constitution for Iraq, part 3   (8/27/2005)

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