News[JURIST] AP is reporting that as the deadline on Thursday's one-day extension for an Iraqi constitutional accord expires early Saturday morning local time in Baghdad a Sunni Arab negotiator has said no agreement has been reached with Shiites and Kurds on the proposed Iraqi charter [JURIST news archive] and has called on Iraqis to reject the draft [English translation] in a referendum slated for October. A spokesman for the Iraqi government is quoted as saying talks on the constitution are hopelessly deadlocked and that "this is the end of the road."
Previously in JURIST's Paper Chase:
- UPDATE ~ Iraqi leaders meet in last attempt to reach constitution agreement
- BREAKING NEWS ~ Iraq parliament extends constitution talks one more day
- UPDATE ~ Iraq government says constitution complete, no vote needed
- BREAKING NEWS ~ Iraqi parliament cancels vote on constitution draft
- UPDATE ~ Iraq constitution draft withdrawn, assembly adjourns, vote delayed
- BREAKING NEWS ~ Iraq constitution submitted to parliament, "pending points" remain
5:08 PM ET – Sunni negotiator Saleh al-Mutlaq was speaking on Aljazeera television in response to a last-minute Shiite-proposed compromise [Aljazeera report]. Continuing disagreements center on federalism and de-Baathification [JURIST report], which Sunnis, who dominated the centralized government of Iraqi Baath Party leader Saddam Hussein, generally oppose. On Al-Arabiya TV, Iraqi government spokesman Laith Kubba said "In the end, we will put this constitution to the people to decide." AP now has more.
5:25 PM ET – AP is reporting that the chairman of Iraq's constitutional drafting committee has said that notwithstanding Sunni rejection, a new draft of the Iraqi constitution that includes the latest compromise will go to parliament Saturday or Sunday.
