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Itsdb |
10/12/05 |
besides the fact the Cowboys thrashed the Eagles on Sunday, but "Iraqi Politicians Reach Deal on Amendments"
By THOMAS WAGNER
Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- President Jalal Talabani and other top politicians on Wednesday praised as "historic" the last-minute compromises that negotiators reached on the draft constitution and urged Iraqis to vote "yes" in this weekend's referendum.
"I have good news for the Iraqi people on this historic day. An agreement has been reached on amendments to the draft constitution," Talabani said during a nationally televised news conference. "There is no excuse for Arab Sunnis to boycott the vote now that we have responded to all their demands and suggestions."
He was followed at the microphone by several other Iraqi politicians who also praised the compromises reached on Tuesday night by Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish powerbrokers on the charter ahead of Saturday's referendum.
They included National Assembly Speaker Hajim Al-Hassani, a Sunni; Vice President Ghazi al-Yawer, a Sunni; former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a Shiite; and Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, a Shiite who heads the Iraqi United Alliance, the largest coalition in parliament.
The draft constitution already has been printed by the United Nations and millions of copies are being distributed to the public for the vote. New additions cannot be included now.
Therefore, the only way that they can be announced to potential voters is through the media, and Talabani began that campaign Wednesday with his televised news conference.
The breakthrough deal reached Tuesday night by powerbrokers from Iraq's Shiite majority and Sunni and Kurdish minorities attempts to address concerns among Sunnis that have prompted many of them to say they will vote "no" in the referendum.
Most Shiites and Kurds plan to vote "yes," but Sunnis fear the draft document being distributed to voters will fragment Iraq, allowing Shiites and Kurds to create mini-states in the oil-rich north and south, leaving Sunnis in a poor central zone.
The deal the negotiators reached Tuesday night agrees on a mechanism to consider amending the constitution after it is approved in Saturday's nationwide vote.
The next parliament, to be formed in December, will set up a commission to consider amendments, which would later have to be approved by parliament and submitted to another referendum. That would give Sunnis the ability to try later to introduce major changes they want, aimed at reducing the autonomous powers that Shiites and Kurds would have under the federal system created by the charter, negotiators said.
The agreement, which U.S. officials apparently promoted behind the scenes, boosts the chances that the draft constitution will be passed in Saturday's referendum..."
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And btw, the special session of Iraq's National Assembly did approve today. So will it pass now?
Steve
P.S. ex, remember my suggestion on the negative publicity? On this article, the AP has links to the "Proposed Iraqi Constitution" directly followed by "Key Findings on WMD" and also, "Prison Abuse Scandal," à,500 U.S. Deaths," "Street Fighting" and "Coalition Casualties." Why? |
Clarification/Follow-up by tomder55 on 10/13/05 4:13 am:
enjoy the Cowboy moment while it lasts . The Giants are coming to town Sunday . Clarification/Follow-up by Itsdb on 10/13/05 8:08 am:
tom,
If anything I've learned to enjoy every good Cowboys moment the past few years as they don't seem to last long - but this one was especially satisfying :)
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