Saddam Hussein calls for new democratic changes

Iraqi newspapers said that Iraqi President Saddam Hussien issued instructions yesterday to his high-ranking assistant to study the possibility of forming new political parties, establishing a state's council and establishing a new constitution, saying that Saddam's declarations came through a joint meeting of the revolution leadership for the ruling Baath party.

They spoke about making a study for establishing a new draft constitution and forming new parties that support the Baath party, but no mention was made of whether the meeting decided to allow the establishment of new independent political parties, but it said that the discussions regarding this point will continue.

Saddam undertook after the Gulf War in 1991 and his invasion of Kuwait to insert limited democratic changes, among which are a new constitution, a multiparty system and press freedoms.