Iraq Constitution: One-Week Postponement

Key parts of Iraq's draft constitution that deals with issues such as the role of Islam and the power of local governments remain undecided, Iraqi leaders confirmed Tuesday.

Parliament voted Monday to give negotiators until Aug. 22 to try to draft the charter. The delay was a strong rebuff of President Bush's insistence that the Aug. 15 deadline be met, according to The AP.

U.S. officials tried to downplay the significance of the delay, and Bush expressed confidence the Iraqis would reach consensus. "I applaud the heroic efforts of Iraqi negotiators and appreciate their work to resolve remaining issues through continued negotiation and dialogue," Bush said in a statement.

On Tuesday, police said an Iraqi Army captain was killed in an ambush Monday, and an employee of a TV and broadcast station died Tuesday by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad in the town of Buhriz.

Elsewhere, an Iraqi-Canadian citizen, Zaid Meerwali, kidnapped in Iraq on 2 August, has been executed, said Canadian prime minister. Meerwali was in Iraq to take part in a business venture.

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Delegates from Iraq's main ethnic groups are continuing their intensive negotiations to finalise the country's draft constitution.

Compromises have been found over many contentious issues, with Kurdish and Shia deputies agreeing to the name Republic of Iraq, without the words "federal" or "Islamic".

Iraq's parliament has extended the deadline for an agreement until 22 August as there are still several major sticking points.

FEDERALISM

Devolution remains a problem, with Sunni Arab groups saying they will reject a federal Iraq.

Many Sunnis have been angered by a proposal by leading Shia politician Abdul Aziz al-Hakim for an autonomous region in the oil-rich south.

And while both Sunni and Shia Arab groups accept Kurdish autonomy in the north, there is no agreement on how to define Kurdish federalism.

The Kurds themselves are seeking demarcated boundaries, control over revenues and a self-contained defence force. Some are also pushing for eventual independence.

THE ROLE OF ISLAM

While delegates have agreed that Islam should be the official state religion, there is significant disagreement about the role of clerics and the place of Islam in legislation.

Delegates are debating whether Islam should be inscribed as the main source of law - the view of the Shia United Iraqi Alliance, the majority bloc in parliament - or just one source of law.

There are also differences over the role of Islamic Sharia law, with many Shia delegates urging for Sharia to be adopted in family and civil law.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Distribution of the wealth from the world's third largest oil reserves remains a major bone of contention.

Sunni Arabs want revenues from oil and other natural resources to be controlled and redistributed by a centralised government structure.

The Kurds are seeking to annex oil-rich areas around Kirkuk not currently in their autonomous area and receive a share of the revenue from the oilfields.

Shia Iraqis, meanwhile, want a share of revenue from the southern oilfields.

The country's oil minister has promised that the new constitution will ensure a fair distribution of the revenues.

WOMEN

Iraqi women's rights campaigners remain concerned about calls from some Shia Muslims for Islam to play a greater role in Iraqi law.

Under Sharia law, women may not receive the same share of inheritance money as men and cannot initiate divorce proceedings. The evidence of a woman in court would count for only half that of a man.

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Efforts to forge Iraq's new constitution have re-started, a day after a last-minute extension to the deadline was agreed by parliament.

The panel now has until 22 August to resolve its disputes, which include issues of federalism and religion.

The US ambassador to the country urged politicians to bridge their differences for the good of the Iraqi people.

Zalmay Khalilzad said the country needed a constitution for everyone and it would take courage to compromise.

"I believe that an agreement will be arrived at if the leaders continue with the attitude of compromising, putting oneself in the shoes of the other side," Mr Khalilzad said.

On Monday, US President George W Bush hailed the "heroic efforts" of those negotiating the charter.

In an upbeat message sent from his Texas ranch, Mr Bush said the politicians would carry on working "to refine the text and build an enduring consensus".

'Avoiding mistakes'

The US has put considerable pressure on Iraq to approve a draft constitution by 15 August.

Now it is playing down the failure to meet that deadline, says the BBC's State Department correspondent Jonathan Beale.

The three-quarters majority needed for an extension was reached by Iraq's lawmakers just 20 minutes before the midnight deadline to present the new constitution expired.

"It was no disappointment, because we have done a lot," Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said, adding that the delay would not "shake the confidence" of the Iraqi people.

"It must be carefully drafted to avoid mistakes in the future."

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari shared the view.

"We should not be hasty regarding the issues and the constitution should not be born crippled," he said after the parliament session, which lasted only 15 minutes.

"We are keen to have an early constitution, but the constitution should be completed in all of its items," he added.

Contentious issues

The constitution needs to be approved by the National Assembly before it can go to a nationwide referendum in October.

Kurdish minister Barhem Saleh told al-Arabiya TV that if no agreement could be reached on the constitution, the National Assembly would have to be dissolved and fresh elections held.

The Shia Muslims and Kurds between them have a parliamentary majority which could see the document passed.

But this has raised concerns that the constitution could alienate the Sunni minority further and could create a backlash when the referendum is held.

Before parliament met, Saleh Mutlaq, a Sunni Muslim member of the panel drafting the constitution, said Sunnis would reject the draft if it contained proposals for a federal Iraq.

Kurdish and Shia members have reportedly dropped demands that the country should be called federal or Islamic, and agreed that the official name should be the Republic of Iraq.

But any devolution of power, beyond the existing autonomy enjoyed by Kurds, remains contentious.

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