Iraqi parliament to get draft constitution soon
A Shiite negotiator said today that a draft constitution would be presented shortly to parliament but that talks with Sunni Arabs was still ongoing to try to win their acceptance.
“After a while, the final draft that was agreed upon with the Kurdish bloc and other blocs will be brought here so that a meeting of the National Assembly can be held,” Jawad al-Maliki told reporters five hours before the deadline. “This draft will be offered and read and be voted on” before the midnight deadline.
However, Sunni Arabs were still objecting to the agreement, especially provisions for transforming Iraq into a federal state. But the Shiites and the Kurds have the votes to win parliamentary agreement without the Sunnis.
