Talks on Iraqi constitution changes continues

Leaders of the Shiite and Kurdish parties continued the last chance talks with Sunni Arab leaders in order to introduce change to the draft constitution that would encourage them to vote "yes" during the referendum set for October 15.

Sunni and Shiite politicians confirmed their participation in the discussions which came as a response to the initiative of the Kurdish leader Masoud al-Barazani, while others close to the talks said that in addition to Barazani, the American ambassador in Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad and the interim President Jalal al-Talibani and the former prime minister Eyad Allawi as well as the speaker of the parliament Hajem Hosni are directly taking part in these talks.

The Kurdish parliamentarian member in the constitution drafting committee Mahmoud Othman and the Sunni leaders who are taking part in the talks said they are focused on six or seven points including articles in the constitution relating to the foundation of a federalism in the south, and one article concerning the expulsion committee of the Baathists from political posts.

He added that he feels that one or two of the causes can be solved including that for making Arabic as an official language in Kurdistan in addition to the Kurdish language and putting the word Arabic, before Islamic in identifying the constitution for the Iraqi state. However, there are still several other points that can not be solved.

Meantime, the Speaker of the Iraqi parliament Hajem al-Hosni rejected the idea of considering the debated constitution as an Interim one for the country. He said that this constitution is permanent and that introducing amendments on it in the future will be the right of the next elected parliament.

Participants said that the talks will continue until today. However, a press conference is expected to be convened today afternoon in order to announce any agreement that is reached following intensive bilateral rounds of talks among parties.