Iraqi draft constitution approved

Tuesday, 2 March 2004 1:10 AM

Iraqi politicians struck a bargain over the interim constitution yesterday, after lengthy talks to settle ethnic and religious disputes that might have derailed plans to hand power back to Iraqis by 30 June.

The document is due to be officially penned Wednesday by the US civil administrator for Iraq, Paul Bremer.

The 25-member US-appointed Governing Council missed the February 28th deadline after an impasse emerged on the role of Islam, quotas for women in government and autonomy for Kurds.

Colin Powell, US secretary of state, said the compromise - albeit belated - was a "terrific" achievement.

US officials said the deal struck the "right balance" between Islamic principles and democratic freedoms.

The constitution sets in train a process that will see elections before the end of January, 2005, which in turn will establish a national assembly to form a government and a declaration on a permanent constitution.

The new Iraqi government will be comprised of a president and two deputies, who will choose a prime minister and cabinet members.

The Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) has a 13-article bill of rights that secures protections for freedom of speech, religious expression, assembly and due process.

It recognises Islam as Iraq's national religion and chief source of legislation, though not the only one.

Twenty-five per cent of the seats in the provisional administration are to be set aside for women.

However, an agreement on Kurdish federalism could not be brokered but parties agreed to revisit the issue at a later date.

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