Posted on 08/14/2004 9:02:56 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The head of Iraq's delayed National Conference said Saturday that the violence raging in Shiite areas of the country would not affect the crucial gathering due to start the next day.
"This is a perfect time for the conference to discuss the current problems and find solutions," Fuad Masoum told journalists.
The gathering of 1,300 delegates will help elect a 100-member national assembly that is to shepherd the country to its first democratic elections, scheduled for the end of January.
The conference was to have been held by the end of July under a law passed by the outgoing U.S. occupation authority, but many key factions said they would boycott the meeting and some of the country's multiethnic provinces had difficulty in choosing slates of delegates.
Conference organizers delayed the meeting at the request of the United Nations, which wanted to try to persuade more factions to participate.
However, the followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who are currently fighting U.S. and Iraqi forces in the southern city of Najaf, have said they would still boycott the meeting.
The Association of Muslim Scholars, a Sunni religious group with links to insurgents, also said it would not attend because of the interim government's reliance on the U.S.-led coalition.
Still, 70 groups have agreed to participate, Masoum said.
"The movements that boycott this conference are free to do that, but that doesn't cause the conference to lose its legitimacy," he said.
In a country beset by a nearly 16-month violent insurgency, the conference will be a major target for angry militants.
The gathering will take place within the Green Zone, a restricted area in Baghdad home to the Iraqi government and the U.S. and British embassies. Visiting delegates will stay in Baghdad, either in hotels or with relatives.
On Saturday Interior Minister Falah Hassan al-Naqib announced a curfew for the city center to begin at 8:00a.m. and end 4:00p.m. for each day of the conference.
Al-Sadr's uprising has spread to other Shiite strongholds in Iraq, exacerbating an already volatile security environment. But delegates coming to Baghdad from different corners of the country said they would not be deterred by the unraveling security situation.
"Sure, we will take part in the conference, regardless of the current security problems," said Khalid al-Nueimi from the finance ministry in the northern city of Mosul.
Jamal Benomar, the U.N. official overseeing preparations, said he was satisfied with the expected turnout, an improvement from the last group of delegates.
"There will be people from all constituencies, for sure," he said.
These are the modern patriots of Iraq, willing to risk their lives to lead the nation towards freedom and a republican form of government.
I pray they are successful.
In this particular case, the faction with the biggest army makes all the rules for the people who don't show up. ;-) *hint* *hint*
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.