Iraq’s government does not need an order from the Arab summit on how to amend its constitution and boost national reconciliation, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said yesterday. “Amendment of the constitution is an obligation written in the text of the constitution, and we are determined to do it without waiting to be told,” Zebari told AFP.
Arab foreign ministers meeting ahead of the summit here agreed Monday to call for an amendment of Iraq’s constitution to give Sunni Arabs a greater share of power in the war-ravaged country and prevent its breakup. The call came in a draft resolution to be submitted to Arab heads of state starting their annual summit today. “We have obligations toward our people and we know them. We don’t need a diktat from Arab countries. We tell them (Arab states) that the idea of national reconciliation is ours, not yours,” Zebari said.
The Iraqi government has initiated moves to review the de-Baathification law, he added. The Arab foreign ministers also called Monday for “reviewing the de-Baathification law in order to enhance the national reconciliation process in Iraq,” according to one minister. What Iraq does need from fellow Arab states is their help in “fighting terrorism and controlling the borders to stop arms crossing” into the country, said Zebari. |