Sunni Arab leaders called yesterday for an independent group — rather than Parliament — to write Iraq's new constitution, a day after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said minorities should play a greater role in drafting the basic law. "We propose forming a committee outside Parliament with representatives from across Iraq," Nasser Al-Ani, a spokesman for the Sunni Arab Iraq Islamic Party, said. "We want our Shiite partners to give us an expanded role in this process."New Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari pledged Sunday to get more Sunnis involved in drafting the constitution after meeting with Rice during her surprise visit to Iraq. Parliament has just set up a committee to draft the constitution by a deadline of Aug. 15. The draft is then to be put to a nationwide referendum by Oct. 15 under a deadline set by the US-inspired transitional administrative law (TAL) currently governing Iraq. Favored under former President Saddam Hussein, Sunni Arabs, who account for about 20 percent of the population, provide the backbone of the deadly insurgency that has claimed more than 400 lives since the start of May. Shiite and Kurdish leaders, who swept to power in the landmark January elections, believe that involving Sunni Arabs in the new administration is essential to undermining support for the insurgents. But many of their own constituents, who suffered under Saddam, want revenge and have called for purging the administration of leading — often Sunni — members of the former ruling Baath party.
Because many Sunni Arabs boycotted the country's Jan. 30 election, they are currently under-represented with just 16 seats in the 275-member assembly. Following weeks of protracted haggling, they were given nine of the 36 Cabinet posts, including the powerful defense minister slot. But their lack of parliamentary representation has cost them dearly in getting a voice on Parliament's constitutional committee. The 55-member body includes just two Sunnis.