| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq-Jordan |
| Iraqi political process on track |
| 2005-09-17 |
| Iraq's foreign minister said Friday the political process is on track following completion of the hotly debated draft constitution that will be put to a referendum next month. Hoshyar Zebari said the document was completed after "difficulties and tough negotiations," and was the "best deal for all communities" though not everyone got everything they wanted. "We have completed a draft constitution and the Iraqi people will have the final say," he told reporters on the sidelines of the U.N. summit when asked whether he expected the constitution to be approved. "All those who participated in drafting this document ... made mutual compromises." he said. "They could not agree on every single thing but really what we have agreed was what is achievable, what we think is the best deal for all the communities." "There will always be chances for amendment in the future," he said, but stressed "we are all looking to complete the process, to improve the security." Zebari said the United Nations was printing five million copies which would be distributed soon. The United Nations said it was waiting for the Iraqi parliament to sign off on the document, hopefully by Sunday. The Iraqi minister's comments came as the country endured a third consecutive day of sectarian killings, including a suicide car bombing at a Shiite mosque that killed at least 12 worshippers as they left Friday prayers. The bombing in Tuz Khormato, where a young Saudi man was later arrested wearing a bomb belt on his way to a second mosque, was the latest suicide attack following al-Qaida in Iraq's declaration of all-out war on Iraq's Shiite Muslim majority. Zebari said the insurgents were acting out of desperation because of the "successes we are making in some parts of the country." The Iraqi minister said he thinks Iraqi forces are capable of containing the violence, adding that the "the effectiveness of the new Iraqi army units" had been proven during the operations in Tal Afar and elsewhere in Iraq's turbulent western regions. But he stressed that Iraq would need foreign troops until the political process is complete. "There is no complete immunity against terrorist attacks or suicide bombers or people who are ready to blow up ... car bombs or themselves and downtown markets or schools or to kill children and so on," he said. "This is a multifaceted effort. It is better intelligence, better forces better coordination and still there is a need for continued support from the coalition forces to complete the job." Zebari said it was important to keep Iraq moving toward democracy as the country prepares for the referendum on the constituion that is to be followed by new parliamentary elections in December. "These remaining few months of the political process are crucial to the success of all our efforts to build a prosperous democratic Iraq," he said. "This is the time really to stay the course." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |