I Would Hate to See A Failure Here, but It May Be Necessary

Sunnis Urge Voters to Reject Constitution
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's head of parliament announced Saturday that Shiites and Kurds had agreed to Sunni Arab proposals for the new constitution and were awaiting a response. But Sunni negotiators said the changes fall short of their demands and urged voters to reject the draft in the Oct. 15 referendum.

Speaker Hajim al-Hassani, himself a Sunni, said the amended text, dealing with issues of federalism and former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, would be submitted Sunday to parliament. The legislature, overwhelmingly Shiite and Kurdish, may vote on it or simply refer it to the voters.

Al-Hassani's comments followed similar statements late Friday by Shiite and Kurdish lawmakers but were significant because he has final say in when the assembly will act.

His remarks indicated that negotiations on the new constitution had run their course. Barring a sudden change of mind by the Sunnis, the charter is likely to go to the voters over Sunni objections, setting the stage for a bitter political battle ahead of the referendum by supporters and opponents of the draft.

If the constitution clears parliament without Sunni blessing, it would be a blow to the Bush administration, which insisted all along that Sunni participation was critical to produce a document which was accepted by all communities.

Sunni Arabs are at the forefront of the insurgency and the Americans hoped the constitution would lure them away from the rebellion. But Sunni negotiator Saleh al-Mutlaq said the final draft fails to meet Sunni aspirations.

"We tell our people that we have fulfilled the duty that you asked us to do," al-Mutlaq told reporters Saturday. "We have sincerely done the job and now the matters are up to you. We want those who did not wake up until now to wake up. We want you to express your point of view but without violence" in the Oct. 15 referendum

The failure of this constitution would be a blow to Bush in the short run, but if it leads to a second election and a better constitution it might be worth it. It would probably be better for the Sunnis to go ahead vote in favor of this constitution for the same reason it would have been better for them to have participated in the first election. The chances are that if this constitution is passed without Sunni concurrence, they will be further alienate themselves.

Full Story: Iraq Constitution

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