Iraqi Constitution News

aricbcool · 10-11-2005, 17:58

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,171942,00.html

Iraqi Negotiators Say Deal Reached on Constitution
Tuesday, October 11, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi negotiators reached a breakthrough deal on the constitution Tuesday and at least one Sunni Arab party said it would now urge its followers to approve the charter in this weekend's referendum.

Under the deal, the two sides agreed that a commission would be set up to consider amendments to the charter that would then be put to a vote in parliament and then submitted to a new referendum next year.

The agreement would allow the Sunnis to try to amend the constitution to reduce the autonomous powers that Shiites and Kurds would have under the federal system created by the charter, negotiators said.

It boosts the chances for a constitution that Shiite and Kurdish leaders support and the United States has been eager to see approved in Saturday's vote to avert months more of political turmoil, delaying plans to start a withdrawal of U.S. forces.

U.S. officials have pushed the three days of negotiations between Shiite and Kurdish leaders in the government and Sunni Arab officials, that concluded with marathon talks at the house of President Jalal Talabani late Tuesday.

A top Sunni negotiator, Ayad al-Samarraie of the Iraqi Islamic Party, said the measure would allow it to "stop the campaign rejecting the constitution and we will call on Sunni Arabs to vote yes." It was unclear if parliament would take a formal vote on the new deal with some lawmakers saying that measure may be read to the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Some other major Sunni parties were not present at the negotiations and it was not clear if they too would be willing to reverse their "no" campaigns.

The Sunni-led insurgents have demanded a boycott of the election and threatened those who would vote.

The announcement was the first break in the ranks of Sunni Arab leaders, who have been campaigning hard to defeat the constitution at the polls.

Ali al-Dabagh, a Shiite negotiator, said the sides agreed on four additions to the constitution that will be voted on Saturday that will allow for future amendments.

The central addition allows the next parliament, which will be formed in Dec. 15 elections, to form the commission that will have four months to consider changes to the constitution. The changes would be approved by the entire parliament, then a referendum would be held two months later.

Sunni Arabs are hoping to have a stronger representation in the next parliament and want to make major amendments to the constitution, particularly to water down the provisions for federalism, which Shiites and Kurds strongly support.

The other additions include a statement stressing Iraqi unity and another states that the Arabic language should be used in the Kurdistan region, along with Kurdish — issues important to the Sunni Arabs. The fourth underlines that former members of Saddam Hussein's ousted, Sunni-led Baath Party will only be prosecuted if they committed crimes.

Some moderate Sunni leaders once had positions in the Baath Party and fear being barred from politics by the De-Baathification process outlined in the constitution.

"The leaders of the political blocs have approved these additions and amendments and tomorrow they will be announced (read) to the national assembly," al-Dabagh said.

aricbcool · 10-14-2005, 17:47

Baghdad Blackout Caused by Sabotage
Friday, October 14, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Insurgents sabotaged power lines, knocking out electricity across Baghdad area Friday and plunging the capital into darkness on the eve of a landmark vote on a constitution aimed at defining democracy in a nation once ruled by Saddam Hussein.

For most of the day, Iraqis were hunkered down in their homes, with the streets of the Iraqi capital almost empty hours before a 10 p.m. curfew and the country sealed off from the outside world as borders and airports were closed for Saturday's referendum.

The approximately 140-article charter — hammered out after months of bitter negotiations — is supported by a Shiite-Kurdish majority but has split Sunni Arab ranks after last-minute amendments designed to win support among the disaffected minority.

In Friday sermons across the nation, the message from Shiite pulpits was an unequivocal "yes," but it was not so clear-cut in Sunni Arab mosques — varying from "yes," "no" and "vote your conscience."

Insurgents, meanwhile, detonated a bomb outside the Sunni Islamic Party's office in central Baghdad, then set fire to the party's main office in Fallujah. Nobody was injured in what were apparently a symbolic attacks against that group's recent decision to support the charter.

Guy · 10-14-2005, 21:19

Let's see if there is a surge in attacks...

Take care.

10-15-2005, 02:38

FYI, some Kurds have returned home from Sweden. Yesterday's news had a reportage about them, based on a reporter's traveling with this family to northern Iraq.

Although very likely influenced - if not for showing it at all, then at least the length - by the pro-Swedish sentiments showed, such as the naming of a school after Anna Lindh, it showed some real progress in the area. One of the main characters is a teacher and spoke briefly about differences in teaching and connected that to the different society, while noting that he had been elected to be educational advisor for the area (or similar).

They talked about democracy, traditions and experience. They were calm and hopeful, but pointed to the differences and explained briefly that it's a long road ahead. In the middle they suggested that they were bringing a part of the Swedish thinking over there.

They interviewed the family's two daughters who had grown up in Sweden but had followed them there, they were of mixed emotions.

The son of the family stayed in Sweden.

Martin