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Iraq Parliament to Amend Charter, Sunnis Opposing
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An
Iraqi worker lifts a billboard on the Oct. 15 referendum.
(Reuters)
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BAGHDAD, October 12, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) –
Iraq
's parliament was set Wednesday, October 12, to endorse changes to the
constitution just three days before a referendum on the document, with
many Sunni groups remained opposing the new deal over the charter.
Under
a deal reached on Tuesday, October 11, Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish
leaders agreed to introduce amendments to the draft constitution and
to create a panel to consider the changes once legislative elections
were held in December, reported Agence France Presse (AFP).
"The
points which have been added to the draft constitution cover seven or
eight issues concerning the unity of Iraq, the Arab language, laws
regarding the former Baath party and a mechanism for amending the
constitution," said Abdel Aziz Al-Hakim, leader of the Shiite
Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI).
The
final draft constitution has been handed over to the UN for printing
and distribution after being endorsed by the Shiites and Kurds, who
hold a sweeping majority in parliament.
Sunnis
have been opposing the constitution, basically to the inclusion of
federalism in the new charter because they believe it will divide
Iraq
and exclude them from sharing in oil wealth.
"We
added that
Iraq
is a united country," Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari said
of the changes.
"We
also included the provision that government administrations in
Kurdistan
will use the Arabic language as well as the Kurdish language."
The
eleventh-hour talks also agreed on a provision that
"archeological sites and treasures are national resources
controlled by the central government along with regional and
provincial governments," Jaafari added.
Sunni
Split
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"We
ask people to go and vote 'No' to this constitution," Mutlak
said. (Reuters)
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The
new constitution changes won the support of the Iraqi Islamic Party,
the country's main Sunni party, Reuters said.
"We
agreed Iraqis should say 'Yes'," the party's general secretary
Tareq Al-Hashimi said.
He
stressed that his party members aimed to negotiate amendments in the
new parliament.
However,
other Sunni groups remained opposing to the document.
"This
is a ploy to persuade people not to vote 'No' to the ethnic and
sectarian racist constitution," the Iraqi National Dialogue said
in a statement of behalf of 19 Sunni groups.
"We
ask people to go and vote 'No' to this constitution," the body's
spokesman Saleh Al-Mutlak said.
The
Association of Muslim Scholars,
Iraq
's main religious Sunni authority, echoed similar opposition.
"Anyone
supporting this constitution is merely ruining his reputation,"
said Abdul Salam Al-Kubaisi.
"We
are telling people it is up to them whether to boycott the ballot or
cast a 'No' vote," he added.
Twenty
one leading Iraqi Sunni groups urged Saturday, October 8, the Iraqi
people to vote down the proposed draft, warning the charter would
trigger the country's break-up.
Sunnis
are a majority in Al-Anbar,
Nineveh
and Salahudin provinces and
Iraq
's interim law stipulates that the text fails if two-thirds of any
three provinces vote against it during the referendum.
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