http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2404390Tempers fray as Iraqi lawmakers discuss federalism
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament abruptly adjourned on Thursday after several Shi'ite lawmakers tried to force debate on the divisive issue of federalism, which Sunnis fear could lead to the breakup of the oil-rich country.
Saleh al-Mutlaq of the Sunni National Dialogue Front said afterwards that parliamentary security guards had been summoned into the debating chamber amid fears that lawmakers' heated exchanges could turn violent.
The parliament faces a deadline in the coming weeks for determining how regions can win autonomy under a federal constitution passed last October despite opposition from the once-dominant Sunni minority. There is some debate on exactly when the deadline should be considered to fall.
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Shi'ite lawmakers tried to force discussion and a vote on their proposal during Thursday's sometimes rowdy session, but the speaker of parliament, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, a Sunni, angrily cut them off, saying he had not received the proposal.
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