BAGHDAD, 14 August 2005 — Iraq’s president predicted a draft constitution will be ready by tomorrow’s deadline as political leaders conferred in marathon sessions to resolve the major issue blocking agreement: Whether to transform Iraq into a federated state.

A Kurdish official said Shiite and Kurdish negotiators had reached broad agreements on the final issues and the document would be presented to Parliament on schedule even if the Sunnis have not signed off.

The final stage negotiations took place against the backdrop of continuing violence, which the United States hopes the new constitution can help bring to an end.

Bombs and gunfights killed at least 12 people, and a US armored vehicle was set ablaze in eastern Baghdad. There was no report of US casualties.

President Jalal Talabani said negotiators were concentrating on the question of whether to transform Iraq into a federated state and the role of Islam. He told reporters yesterday that many issues had been resolved in final stage talks but refused to identify them.

“The meetings are still going on and we have gone forward,” Talabani said. “There is a meeting today and another meeting tomorrow and God willing we will finish the job tomorrow” — one day ahead of the deadline for Parliament to approve the charter.

Despite broad agreements between Shiites and Kurds, officials said the Sunnis were reluctant to agree on federalism and other issues, including the role of the Shiite clergy, dual nationality and a description of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party.

Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish parliamentarian and member of the committee drafting the constitution, said “high level discussions” were under way between American diplomats and Sunni leaders “so that the Sunnis will agree.”

“If the Sunnis refuse to accept the agreements, we will present the draft as it is to the National Assembly,” Othman said.

He said Islam would be recognized as the official religion “and there are discussions going on now regarding whether Islam will be the main source or a source of legislation in the constitution.”

The draft will be presented to the voters in a referendum Oct. 15 and if it is approved, a new election for a fully constitutional government will be held in mid-December.

Sunnis have warned that they can bring down the constitution in the referendum. According to the country’s interim charter, the constitution will be void if it is rejected by two-thirds of voters in three provinces. Sunnis are a majority in four.

In his weekly radio address, President George W. Bush said yesterday that the Iraqi constitution “is a critical step on the path to Iraqi self-reliance.”

“Despite the acts of violence by the enemies of freedom, Iraq’s elected leaders are now finishing work on a democratic constitution,” Bush said. “Later this year, that constitution will be put before the Iraqi people for their approval. The establishment of a democratic constitution is a critical step on the path to Iraqi self-reliance.”

Negotiations were thrown into a tailspin Thursday when the leader of the biggest Shiite party, Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, called for a Shiite autonomous government in central and southern Iraq, including the southern oil fields. That enraged Sunni delegates, who fear federalism will lead to the disintegration of Iraq.