Iraqis Reach Deal on the Constitution

[ECH1969]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi leaders reached a deal on the constitution that at least one Sunni Arab party said Tuesday would allow it to reverse its rejection of the document and urge its supporters to approve it in next weekend's referendum.

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 in Saturday's vote. Shiite and Kurdish leaders support the document.

Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni negotiators agreed late Tuesday to a measure stating that if the draft constitution is passed, the next parliament will be able to consider amendments to it that would then be put to a new referendum next year, Shiite and Sunni officials said.

A top Sunni negotiator, Ayad al-Samarraie of the Iraqi Islamic Party, said that if the current parliament approves the measure, "we will stop the campaign rejecting the constitution and we will call on Sunni Arabs to vote yes."

Link

[enigma000]

1. tick-tock-tick-tock

[ECH1969]

2. Four days left

[hiabrill]

3. a constitution must be acceptable to the majority....

... of each group, Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish.....


Only then will there be justice for all and peace.....

[mom cat]

4. Welcome to DU hiabrill.

:hi:
As musc as I think that a constitution suitable to all parties is important, there will be no peace or justice till the US gets out.

[ECH1969]

5. Welcome to DU hiabrill

[StopThief]

6. Can you picture what such a document. . .

would look like?

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. Somehow, I don't think that this constitution will improve matters

[applegrove]

8. Agreement Reached on Iraq's Draft Constitution

"By SINAN SALAHEDDIN

Tuesday, October 11, 2005 Posted at 7:51 PM EDT

Associated Press

Baghdad — 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.

...Snip"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051011.wirkk1011/BNStory/International

[applegrove]

9. Perhaps there is actually a way out of this horrid war. Perhaps it

will be over in six months. Perhaps.

Still - a federal constitution is meant to be torn apart and one issue pressed up against another in the years to come.

But maybe - maybe the soldiers can come home sooner, the propaganda in the US will then be illegal & the country can heal. Then - 2006 elections and neocons packing their bags and heading for the south of France ...ah ... er .. ..... the south of the Carolinas.

[jsamuel]

10. that sounds good...

i hope...

"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."

[enigma000]

12. I hope so

If not, it may not pass in the referendum. They just restart the process again. Hopefully the Sunni opt to participate this time around.

[ECH1969]

11. The agreement has two other parts

One is important for ex-Baathists the other are guarantees of Iraqi unity whatever that means.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Along with the new constitutional panel, the Iraqi leaders agreed to some smaller changes to the charter, several lawmakers said. At least two of them represented concessions to Sunni demands. One is a moderation of the so-called de-Baathfication process to root out former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party from public office, and the other is a clause providing firmer guarantees of Iraq's unity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/12/international/middleeast/12iraq.html