Iraqi parties try to reach deal as constitution deadline dawns
Iraqi politicians are scrambling to reach a deal as today’s deadline to finish the country’s new constitution looms.
Sunni Arabs asked that the divisive issue of federalism be put off until next year so the draft could be completed on time, warning they would not accept provisions for federated states.
American officials applied pressure to resolve differences on that and other issues before the deadline for parliament to adopt the constitution, and US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said he was convinced the Iraqis would succeed.
Some politicians said the draft could be presented to the Shiite- and Kurdish-led parliament today over Sunni Arab objections. But that would further alienate that disaffected minority, undercutting the US goal of using the political process to take the steam out of the Sunni-dominated insurgency.
“It looks like all the agreements are being made only by the Kurds and the Shiites without even asking our opinion,” Sunni Arab official Saleh al-Mutlaq said yesterday. “I believe the draft is going to be presented tomorrow even if it is not finished, with or without our approval.”
Parliament scheduled a meeting for 6pm (3pm Irish time) to allow as much time as possible for negotiators to agree on a draft.
The main obstacle was the argument over federalism, which the formerly dominant Sunni Arabs fear could lead to Kurdish and Shiite Muslim regions splitting from Iraq. But al-Mutlaq said there also was no agreement on 17 other issues, including the distribution of oil wealth.
Another Sunni official voiced objections over a Shiite-Kurdish deal to grant special status to the clerical hierarchy of Iraq’s Shiite Muslim majority.
Sunni Arab politicians asked that federalism be left out of the constitution until a new parliament was elected during a meeting with President Jalal Talabani and Massoud Barzani, leaders of the two major Kurdish parties and proponents of a federal system to protect the self-rule Kurds have had since 1991.
“We made a proposal to transfer federalism and the process of forming federal regions to the next National Assembly,” Sunni politician Kamal Hamdoun said. “Legislation could be drafted on these two matters and a referendum could be held on them.”
Hamdoun said the Sunnis received no response to their proposal, which the Kurds have rejected in the past.
He said other charter provisions that Sunnis objected to were recognition of the Kurdish language, dual citizenship and the role of the Shiite religious leadership.
“If there are points that we do not agree on, we will not sign any draft,” Hamdoun said, adding that he did not think Shiites and Kurds would push through a charter “if they are serious about the unanimity with us”.
Since Shiites and Kurds have agreed on most constitutional issues, Kurdish politician Mahmoud Othman said the drafting committee would present the draft to parliament today even if the Sunni Arabs objected.
Parliament could approve the draft by a simple majority and the Shiites and Kurds together hold 221 of the 275 seats. However, that risks a Sunni backlash that could scuttle the constitution when it is put before voters in an October 15 referendum.
If two-thirds of the voters in at least three of the 18 provinces vote no, the charter would be defeated and Sunnis form a majority in at least four provinces. Sunni clerics are urging followers to vote against any constitution that could lead to the break-up of the country.
