Iraq to complete constitution on time

The Iraqi constitution drafting committee decided to end its work in the mid-August and not to postpone this task, so as the national society ( parliament) will be able to vote on this document for presenting it for a citizens' referendum.

Member of the committee drafting the constitution, Munzir al- Fadel, said that the committee reached this decision by a majority decision, after the members refused a request for extending the deadline by one month, proposed by the chairman of the committee Sheikh Humam Hammudi.

Al-Fadel, the Arab member in the Kurdistani coalition list, said that meetings of the committee will continue on several issues which are controversial including the role of Islam and the federalism.

The interim Iraqi President Jalal al-Talibani called members of the committee to complete their work and provide the draft constitution in its set date of mid-August.

In a press conference he held with the American ambassador in Iraq Zalmai Khalil Zada, Talibani called for convening a conference including political parties represented in the parliament and the political forces outside it to discuss problems impeding the completion of the constitution at the set time, stressing that the constitution will be scripted in line with the "interim state administration law".

For his part, Rasem al-Awadi, member of the committee for drafting the constitution representing the Iraqi list which is led by the former Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi, stressed that the constitution can not be postponed and should be declared in its set time.