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Officials: Iraq constitution undecided
(AP)
Updated: 2005-08-16 19:40
Key parts of Iraq's draft constitution that address issues such as the role
of Islam and the power of local governments remain undecided, Iraqi leaders said
Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
Iraq's leader of the constitution draft
committee Humam Hamoudi speaks with Shiite United Iraqi Allies' political
leader Sami al- Majoun (not seen) during a meeting with the National
Assembly on the eve of the constitution draft deadline, Monday, Aug. 15,
2005, in Baghdad, Iraq. Iraq's parliament agreed to a seven-day extension
for leaders to complete the draft constitution, after politicians failed
to meet a midnight Monday deadline for agreement on the charter.
Parliament adjourned after voting to extend the deadline until Aug. 22,
acting on a request from Kurdish leaders for more time.
[AP] |
Parliament voted Monday to give negotiators until Aug. 22 to try to draft the
charter. The delay was a strong rebuff of President Bush's insistence that the
Aug. 15 deadline be met, even if some issues were unresolved, to maintain
political momentum and blunt Iraq's deadly insurgency.
"We should not be hasty regarding the issues and the constitution should not
be born crippled," said Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a Shiite, shortly
after the brief parliament session Monday. "We are keen to have an early
constitution, but the constitution should be completed in all of its items."
Fundamental parts of the charter have not been agreed on. Shiite lawmakers
said the unresolved issues were women's rights, an issue tied to Islam's role in
Iraq, and the right of Kurds to eventually secede from the country. But
al-Jaafari said the key stumbling blocks were distribution of oil wealth and
federalism, another, broader way of stating Kurdish and Shiite demands for
autonomy.
President Jalal Talabani's office said no constitutional meetings were
scheduled early Tuesday but said lawmakers may resume negotiations later in the
day.
Meanwhile, Iraqi troops clashed with guards of former Prime Minister Ayad
Allawi's Iraqi National Accord, leaving several guards injured, a statement by
the group said Tuesday.
However, an official at Allawi's office, speaking on condition of anonymity
because he is not permitted to speak to reporters, said the incident occurred
Aug. 7 between soldiers and guards near the Iraqi National Accord's main office
in western Baghdad.
He said one guard was seriously wounded and is still in hospital. It was not
clear why the group waited more than a week to release the statement.
Kurdish leaders on Tuesday defended their push for self-determination, saying
it had been a long-stated demand in talks. Kurds have suggested language giving
them eight years within a unified Iraq and after that the right to secede.
"Kurdish politicians have no present intentions to gain independence. But we
need self-determination in order to decide our future in case troubles erupt in
Iraq in the future," said Mullah Bakhtiyar, a senior official in the Kurdish
Democratic Party.
"We are not making surprise or sudden demands, it is the Shiites who are
doing so," said Bakhtiyar, adding that Shiite leaders were pressing to grant
special status to clerics. He said the proposal would be "a dangerous thing
because every sect will seek orders from its religious leadership and this means
that there will be no rule by law or constitution."
Even if negotiators produce a constitution in the next week, the wide divide
over issues are unlikely to dissipate. The majority Shiites are vying for
federalism, hoping to create an autonomous region in the south as Kurds have in
the north 锟斤拷 both areas rich in oil. Minority Sunni Arabs oppose federalism,
fearing it could split the country, but some have showed a willingness to
compromise.
U.S. officials downplayed the significance of the delay, and Bush expressed
confidence the Iraqis would reach consensus.
"I applaud the heroic efforts of Iraqi negotiators and appreciate their work
to resolve remaining issues through continued negotiation and dialogue," Bush
said in a statement. "Their efforts are a tribute to democracy and an example
that difficult problems can be solved peacefully through debate, negotiation and
compromise."
The United States hopes progress on the political front, including adoption
of a democratic constitution, will help deflate the Sunni Arab-led rebellion and
enable the Americans and their partners to begin withdrawing troops next year.
Nevertheless, the last-minute decision to postpone the deadline raised
serious questions about the ability of Iraq's varied factions to make the
necessary political compromises. Some Iraqi citizens were worried about the
exposed fractures in the country's leadership.
"We are disappointed because we risked our lives when we went out to polling
stations, but now we see each political bloc searching for its own interests,"
said Taha Sabir in Baghdad. "We expected a better life, but we got only many
crises such as electricity and fuel shortages."
If agreement on a constitution is reached, Iraqis will vote around Oct. 15 to
accept or reject the charter, leading to more elections in December for the
country's first new government under the new constitution.
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