The Iraqi Constitutional Crisis.
Yesterday Iraq’s National Assembly failed to agree on a new constitution, with legislators extending the deadline an extra week. Disagreements remain on the role of Islam, possible Shitte and Kurdish autonomy, and women’s rights. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Bush administration “pressured Iraqis” to agree on a constitutional draft “even for appearance’s sake so the political process seemed on track”.
If a constitution is not agreed upon by next week’s deadline, Iraq could be thrown into a political crisis, as U.S. transitional law dictates that Iraq would then have to hold new elections and restart the entire process. Meanwhile, the month of August could be one of the deadliest to date for US troops in Iraq. The first week of August was the fourth deadliest week of the war to date, with 44 US soldiers being killed in the first 10 days of the month.
If a constitution is not agreed upon by next week’s deadline, Iraq could be thrown into a political crisis, as U.S. transitional law dictates that Iraq would then have to hold new elections and restart the entire process. Meanwhile, the month of August could be one of the deadliest to date for US troops in Iraq. The first week of August was the fourth deadliest week of the war to date, with 44 US soldiers being killed in the first 10 days of the month.
posted by Alva Goldbook at 4:33 AM
1 Comments:
If this National Assembly does not have the mindset required to produce a meaningful Iraqi constitution, then it is best to dissolve and re-elect the assembly than settle for a prop. It is more important to get it right, than to get it “right now.”
As Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari noted, “We should not be hasty regarding the issues and the constitution should not be born crippled.” The constitution must be meaningful – a living, breathing document that can be a foundation for the long road towards a real democracy in a united Iraq.
Post a Comment
<< Home