BAGHDAD, 23 August 2005 — In another dramatic last-minute standoff, Iraqi leaders late yesterday put off a vote on a the country’s new constitution, adjourning Parliament at a midnight deadline in order to gain time to try to win over the Sunni Arab minority whose support is key to ending the insurgency.
Negotiators finished the draft constitution yesterday and prepared to submit it to Parliament as the lawmakers convened minutes before a midnight deadline. But the negotiators withdrew the draft in the final minutes because of fierce resistance from Sunnis over the issue of federalism, which they fear could cut them out of most of the country’s vast oil wealth.
Parliament Speaker Hajim Al-Hassani said there was strong interest in reaching unanimity on the draft “so that the constitution pleases everyone.”
“All these groups in the coming three days will try, God willing, to reach accord on some points on which there are still disagreements,” he said. “The draft constitution has been received and we will work on solving the remaining problems.”
He then adjourned the session without a vote.
Afterward, he told reporters that the main outstanding issues were federalism, the formation of federal units, problems related to mentioning the Baath party in the constitution, and the division of powers between the president, the Parliament and the Cabinet.
The numerous remaining issues cast doubt whether the Iraqis would be able to finish the document within a few days since the various groups have widely differing positions on all those points.
Sunnis issued a statement early today saying they rejected the draft constitution because the government and the drafting committee did not abide by an agreement for consensus. “We reject the draft constitution that was submitted because we did not have an accord on it,” said Sunni delegate Nasser Al-Janabi.
Repeated delays are a deep embarrassment for the Bush administration at a time of growing doubts within the United States over the mission in Iraq.
Washington had applied enormous pressure on the Iraqis to meet the original Aug. 15 deadline but Parliament instead had to grant a week’s extension, which they again failed to meet.
“It is not possible to please everyone,” said Humam Hammoudi, Shiite chairman of the 71-member committee that struggled for weeks to try to complete the draft. “But many things have been achieved in this constitution and we hope it will be a real step toward stability.”
The first deadline to adopt a constitution expired a week ago, with Parliament voting to extend it for seven days. The legislature supposedly had to disband if the deadline was not met, but lawmakers said nothing about that late yesterday.
Shiites and Kurds have enough seats in Parliament to win approval for a draft without the Sunni Arabs. But the Sunni minority could scuttle the constitution when voters decide whether to ratify it in an Oct. 15 referendum. Under current rules, the constitution would be defeated if it is opposed by two-thirds of the voters in three of Iraq’s 18 provinces. Sunni Arabs form the majority in at least four.
