Is Iraq Finally On Its Way?

Committee signs Iraq's draft constitution
Sunday, August 28, 2005; Posted: 5:46 a.m. EDT (09:46 GMT

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The Iraqi constitutional committee signed off on a draft of a constitution Sunday after making some minor amendments, a committee spokesman said.

The draft, which was signed by the committee, will now go to the National Assembly. The amendments were made in hopes of appeasing the Sunni Arab minority, although government spokesman Leith Kubba said not all Sunnis agreed.

President Talabani will announce the final draft of the constitution at a 2:30 p.m. (6:30 a.m. EDT) press conference, his office announced.

It was hoped that Sunday would usher in the end of Iraq's prolonged constitution-drafting drama, as Shiite Arab negotiators now say they plan to go to voters in October with a new compromised draft even if they cannot reach agreement with their Sunni counterparts.

Sunni Arabs on Saturday pored over and debated a compromise Shiite-Kurdish proposal for the draft constitution, the latest development in the highly-charged political fight over the fine print and major legal thrusts in the country's future basic law.

The changes emerged after a week of painstaking negotiations among lawmakers trying to resolve outstanding differences in their talks, another 11th-hour effort to reach a wide-ranging consensus.

"We should hear any minute it's submitted to the assembly," Kubba told CNN.

Some Sunnis agreed to the amendments, he said, while others did not.

Is this a glimmer of hope? Sunni participation in this process would be wise to be sure. I hope they go ahead and approve it. With luck any inequities can be ameliorated later by the constitutional government.

Full Story: Iraqi Constitution

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