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Iraq-Jordan
Iraqi Sunnis Could Veto Constitution
2005-02-03
Looks like the next battle in the war...
As the vote count moves ahead in Iraq to choose a National Assembly which will draft later a permanent constitution, the much-hoped code looked virtually at stake as Iraqi Sunnis could veto it when a referendum is held in October. Anti-democratic -occupation Sunni powers, which boycotted the January 31 vote, mull using the veto weapon if they were marginalized in drafting the constitution by the Shiites and the Kurds, a senior official with the influential Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS) revealed on Tuesday, February 1. "These powers have this card up to their sleeve and will definitely play it when necessary in accordance with the interim constitution," Mahdi Ibrahim told IslamOnline.net.

Under rules agreed last year, an October referendum to ratify that draft will fail if two-thirds of the voters in any three of Iraq's 18 provinces give it the thumbs-down. Main Sunni groups shunned the election. The AMS said the poll could not be free with occupation troops on Iraqi soil. The Islamic Party, which is represented in the interim government, withdrew saying violence precluded a fair vote. "If we resorted to this option, the new government formed by the National Assembly will find itself in a constitutional limbo as it will have to set stage for a new constitution, which means holding a new parliamentary election," Ibrahim added.
Posted by:Fred

#6  Peshawar.

But accurate.
Posted by: Robert Crawford   2005-02-03 10:22:58 AM  

#5  Oh, I see they're back to being called the influential Association of Muslim Scholars. There was some confusion when the reporter neglected to call them influential yesterday, and the assumption was that they were no longer influential, but had instead returned to being inconsequential.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2005-02-03 10:16:52 AM  

#4  Peshawar.
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2005-02-03 9:31:09 AM  

#3  The Sunnis are the Democrats of Iraq, a minority whose only power is obstruction, and like the Democrats, they will become increasingly irrelevant. Lead! Follow! Or get out of the way!
Posted by: RWV   2005-02-03 9:27:25 AM  

#2  Under rules agreed last year, an October referendum to ratify that draft will fail if two-thirds of the voters in any three of Iraq's 18 provinces give it the thumbs-down.

Yes they do have that right. The provision was inserted at the insistence of the Kurds, for obvious reasons, but the Sunni arabs could use it as well. Of course they can only do so if they actually VOTE.
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2005-02-03 9:14:32 AM  

#1  Of course. Without a veto of democracy, the Sunnis would be lost, powerless, impotent, and irrelevant.

Should this be an accurate story (islam on-line has missed a couple, heh) and the Sunnis do have the power to derail everything accomplished since Saddam's utter defeat and emasculation, they undoubtedly will do so. They've never shown, in any country dominated by Sunnis, any actual grasp or understanding of democracy - except by the thugs, mullahs, and kleptocrats who see their loss of power and wealth in its spread.

This will speed the break-up of Iraq, I'd wager. Free Kurds. Free Shi'a. Works for me. Especially when the Kurdish in Northern Syria join and give them a path to the Med which will make the Turks choke on their own bile. Melike.
Posted by: .com   2005-02-03 12:32:57 AM  

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