Conflict monitors say Iraq constitutional process worsening insurgency News
Conflict monitors say Iraq constitutional process worsening insurgency

[JURIST] The International Crisis Group (ICG) [advocacy site] of conflict monitors Monday criticized Iraq's constitutional process for deepening the country's political fractures and expediting Iraq's violent break up. A new ICG report [PDF text; press release] noted that the draft Iraqi constitution [English translation; JURIST news archive] to be put to a referendum October 15 reflects Shiite and Kurdish influence, but not significant Sunni input. The group said that the fifteen Sunni Arabs added to the drafting committee [official website] in an effort at inclusiveness were increasingly marginalized after the August 1 decision [JURIST report] against a six-month extension of the drafting deadline. The ICG admits it is too late to renegotiate but has called for the US to sponsor efforts to reach a political agreement prior to October 15 on steps the parties would commit to take after December elections. In June the ICG warned that the interim Transitional Administrative Law had set an unrealistic deadline [JURIST report] for the drafting of the country's permanent charter. Reuters has more.