Iraq: Governing Council Signs Interim Constitution
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Iraq’s Governing Council today signed into law an interim constitution that establishes the framework for a sovereign government due to take power by 30 June. The interim constitution binds the coming government — which will rule until national elections due sometime next year — to respect freedom of speech and religion and to maintain civilian control of the military. These are fundamental guarantees of a civil society that were routinely ignored by the former regime of Saddam Hussein. The interim constitution provides for Islamic law — or Shari’a — to be one source for legislation in Iraq, but not the only source. It sets a goal of reserving 25 percent of the seats in a transitional assembly for women. The assembly — which will draft the permanent constitution — is to be elected by the end of January 2005. And it recognizes federalism as the system of government for Iraq and accepts the current level of self-rule enjoyed by Iraqi Kurds. However, the temporary document leaves unresolved the future degree of autonomy for the Kurdish areas — as well as agreement on the borders of those areas. Those issues will be decided in the writing of the permanent constitution. Today’s signing of the interim constitution comes after the ceremony was postponed twice last week. The document was originally due to be signed by the 25-member Iraqi Governing Council on 3 March. But the signing was postponed for three days of national mourning following bomb attacks against the Shi’a community in Baghdad and Karbala that killed at least 180 people early last week. More : rferl.org |