Iraq's draft constitution ammended to meet Arab demands

[ECH1969]

Abbas Al Bayati, a member of the constitution drafting Committee in Iraq, announced that the draft constitution was amended in a way that underlined Iraq's Arab identity.

The modifications have been made to assert the Arab identity of Iraq and its commitment to the Arab League's charter and resolutions in response to a demand submitted by Arab League Secretary General, Amr Mussa, Bayati said, adding that the amendment "also meets regional and global aspirations".

In response to the Sunni Arabs' demands relating to Al Ba'ath uprooting , the federal system, Iraq's identity and wealth distribution, the mentioned points were all also taken into account and treated, Al Bayati affirmed.

http://english.bna.bh/?ID=35540

[Catfight]

1. Iraq...Osma...MIA. nt

[Teaser]

2. And the Sunnis say?

One wonders why no one asked them how they feel about this.

[Teaser]

3. Update: Unfortunately...

this apparently wasn't enough to mollify the Sunnis, who apparently reported this change several hours ago.

Sunni negotiator Saleh al-Mutlak said that in talks with Kurdish regional president Masoud Barzani, other Sunni leaders had persuaded the non-Arab Kurds to amend the wording of the draft referring to Iraq's Arab nature.

It had said Iraq's Arabs were part of the Arab nation. He said it now read "Iraq is a founding and an active member of the Arab League".

But Mutlak said the text still did not meet with approval from the once dominant Sunni minority, which has voiced concerns about devolving power to Kurds and majority Shi'ites in northern and southern provinces.

"We will start a campaign to vote 'No' in the referendum," he said. If two thirds of voters in three of Iraq's 18 provinces reject the constitution it will be vetoed and an election in December will choose a new interim parliament to draft a new text.

http://seven.com.au/news/worldnews/105909