BAGHDAD, 15 August 2005 — With only a day left to finish Iraq’s new constitution, Sunnis asked yesterday that a decision on the most contentious issue — federalism — be deferred so the draft can be completed on time. Sunnis said they would refuse to accept a charter that included federalism.
US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said he was convinced that the Iraqis would resolve their differences and finish the document. Some politicians suggested the draft could be presented to the Shiite and Kurdish-dominated Parliament today over Sunni objections. Despite broad agreement between Shiites and Kurds, a constitution unacceptable to Sunni leaders would further alienate the minority community, undercutting the US goal of using the political process to take the steam out of the Sunni-dominated insurgency.
The Iraqi Parliament set a meeting for 6 p.m. (1400 GMT) today to allow as much time as possible to resolve the differences. A Sunni official said his group objected to other issues apart from federalism, including a Shiite-Kurdish deal to grant special status to the Shiite clerical hierarchy.
In ongoing violence, five US soldiers were killed in roadside bombings over the weekend, and another died in a shooting, the US military said. At least 11 Iraqis were killed yesterday in various attacks, police said.
Last-minute talks focused on issues such as federalism and the role of Islam — the very obstacles that have blocked progress on the draft for weeks. Sunnis oppose federalism, fearing it would lead to the breakup of the country.
Sunni politicians met yesterday with President Jalal Talabani and Massoud Barzani, leaders of the two major Kurdish parties and leading proponents of federalism, and asked that the issue be left out of the draft. “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. Hamdoun said Sunnis also objected to other issues accepted by the Shiites and Kurds, including recognition of the Kurdish language, dual citizenship and the role of the Shiite religious leadership.
