Iraqi leaders looking to break constitution stalemate as deadline looms News
Iraqi leaders looking to break constitution stalemate as deadline looms

[JURIST] Political leaders in Iraq prepared Thursday for a national conference set for Friday designed to break the deadlock surrounding key issues [JURIST report] of the Iraq constitution [JURIST news archive], a draft of which is due August 15. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari are expected to attend. The conference is planning to deliver a report by August 12, with the full National Assembly prepared to vote afterwards on any unresolved issues. AFP has more. The parliamentary system is said to be the centerpiece of the new government [AP report], with a bicameral legislature designed to prevent one person from running the country in the future. Al Qaeda members in Iraq however have called for strict Islamic law to govern the country. Even recent controversial reports of Islamic rule over personal matters [JURIST report] such as marriage, divorce, and inheritances, if implemented, do not seem to meet al Qaeda's demands. Reuters has more.