IRAQ: LEADING SHI'ITE MEMBERS OF IRAQ'S GOVERNING COUNCIL MEET AIDES OF AYATOLLAH ALI AL-SISTANI TO SALVAGE A DEAL ON AN INTERIM CONSTITUTION
Record ID:
647722
IRAQ: LEADING SHI'ITE MEMBERS OF IRAQ'S GOVERNING COUNCIL MEET AIDES OF AYATOLLAH ALI AL-SISTANI TO SALVAGE A DEAL ON AN INTERIM CONSTITUTION
- Title: IRAQ: LEADING SHI'ITE MEMBERS OF IRAQ'S GOVERNING COUNCIL MEET AIDES OF AYATOLLAH ALI AL-SISTANI TO SALVAGE A DEAL ON AN INTERIM CONSTITUTION
- Date: 6th March 2004
- Summary: (W6) NAJAF, IRAQ (MARCH 6, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF HOUSE OF CURRENT GOVERNING COUNCIL PRESIDENT, MOHAMMED BAHR AL-ULOUM / PEOPLE WAITING OUTSIDE HOUSE / GUARDS (4 SHOTS) 0.22 2. GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER WALKING OUT AFTER TALKS 0.36 3. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER MOWAFFAQ AL-RUBAIE, SAYING: "The opinion of the spiritual leadership is the same as that of the Iraqi people because it reflects the wishes of the Iraqi people. It is very important for us that the spiritual leadership in Najaf (Shi'ites) understands our situation in Baghdad and why we're taking the steps we're taking (means they need the approval of leadership) regarding the development of the political mechanism" (Reporter's Question: "Is the signing going to take place on Monday?") "God willing, the signing will take place. It will then be shown to the Iraqi people so they can voice their opinion about the rules on how the country will be managed" 1.26 4. GUARD BY CAR 1.31 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AL-RUBAIE, SAYING: "And I think we need more time. And I hope and I pray that we will be able to sign this historic document, God willing, on Monday morning, we'll be able to sign this document" 1.58 6. VARIOUS OF CARS AROUND HOUSE / AL-ULOUM LEAVING SURROUNDED BY GUARDS / PEOPLE ON STREET (4 SHOTS) 2.23 (W6) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MARCH 6, 2004) (REUTERS) 7. WIDE VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE HELD BY DEPUTY CHIEF SPOKESMAN FOR U.S. FORCES, BRIGADIER GENERAL MARK KIMMITT AND CHIEF COALITION SPOKESMAN DAN SENOR 2.28 8. MILITARY CAMERA OPERATOR 2.31 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHIEF COALITION SPOKESMAN DAN SENOR, SAYING: "The important point is that the Iraqi Governing Council is working together, working to solve these problems. They're in negotiations, they're talking, they will reach compromise, they'll reach a solution. And I assure you they will sign an interim constitution." 2.45 10. U.S. SOLDIER; CU AUTOMATIC RIFLE (2 SHOTS) 2.54 11. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE 2.59 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 21st March 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NAJAF AND BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA1QYLL54W73K4P2YSXJXO3890K
- Story Text: Leading Shi'ite members of Iraq's Governing Council
meet aides to the country's top Shi'ite cleric to salvage
a deal on interim constitution.
Leading Shi'ite members of Iraq's Governing Council
met aides to the country's top Shi'ite cleric on Saturday
(March 6) to try and salvage a deal on an interim
constitution crucial to U.S. plans to hand power back to
Iraqis.
The Governing Council members met Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistani's aides for talks in Najaf following Friday's
(March 5) postponement of the signing.
Objections from the 73-year-old Sistani, a reclusive
cleric who wields immense influence over the country's 60
percent Shi'ite majority, forced the last-minute
cancellation of plans to sign the document, a setback to
the U.S.-led administration which wants to return
sovereignty to an Iraqi government on June 30.
"I hope and I pray that we will be able to sign this
historic document ..... on Monday morning", Mowaffaq
al-Rubaie, a leading Shi'ite member of the Governing
Council, told reporters in Najaf after a day of talks with
clerics and Sistani's aides.
He said the Shi'ite delegation from the council would
stay in the holy city of Najaf to try to reach agreement
before returning to Baghdad, possibly as late as Monday
(March 8). The council is due to convene in the capital on
Monday at 10 a.m. (0700 GMT) to resolve the dispute and
sign the constitution.
Mohammed Bahr al-Uloum, a Shi'ite who is the current
head of the council and also travelled to Najaf, said he
was "sure that any objections can be resolved".
The postponement was an embarrassment to the Americans
and any lengthy delay is likely to hamper U.S. plans to
return power to Iraqis by June 30.
But U.S. officials sought to play down the problems,
insisting an agreement would be signed.
"The important point is that the Iraqi Governing
Council is working together, working to solve these
problems", said chief coalition spokesman, Dan Senor said
on Saturday.
"They're in negotiations, they're talking, they will
reach compromise, they'll reach a solution".
The Governing Council missed a February 28 deadline to
agree on the document because of divisions over the role of
Islam, the representation of women and Kurdish demands for
autonomy, but announced last Monday it had reached a deal.
The signing ceremony, set for last Wednesday, was
postponed after bomb attacks on Shi'ites the previous day
killed at least 181 people and raised fears of a sectarian
civil war.
On Friday a high-profile signing ceremony was abandoned
when Shi'ite council members raised last-minute objections.
Sistani's interventions have repeatedly forced
Washington to revise its plans for Iraq, leading it to give
the United Nations a key role in the political process and
bring forward planned elections, now due to be held by the
end of January 2005.
The interim constitution is designed to guide Iraq
until an elected assembly agrees on a permanent
constitution and a referendum approves it. But Sistani, who
wants Shi'ites to wield political influence commensurate
with their majority status in Iraq, has objected to parts
of the document.
Council sources said the main point of contention was a
clause that could allow Kurds -- who make up a fifth of
Iraq's population -- to veto a permanent constitution if
they feel it does not address their demands for autonomy.
The clause says even if a majority of Iraqis approve
the constitution, it can be vetoed if two-thirds of voters
in three provinces reject it. The clause was inserted by
the Kurds, who run three provinces in northern Iraq and
want to be able to block any attempt to rein in their
considerable autonomy.
Another problem is that the Shi'ites want a future
presidential council to have five members -- three
Shi'ites, one Sunni and one Kurd -- instead of the
three-member body agreed.
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