Posted on 09/08/2005 4:20:32 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
THE United Nations has refused to start printing Iraq's draft constitution, yet again delaying efforts to get millions of copies to voters before a referendum on October 15.
One negotiator from the Sunni Arab minority which has been lobbying for changes to the text adopted by parliament on August 28, said non-Arab Kurdish leaders agreed to an amendment to the draft to strengthen wording on Iraq's nature as an Arab state. Others involved were not available for comment.
"We haven't been given authority to print it," said Nicholas Haysom, a UN official in Baghdad, adding that he could not say whether the existing draft had been amended.
"From our perspective, and we are helping in printing and distribution, we are awaiting a text certified by the National Assembly. We don't expect that to happen before Sunday."
Iraqi parliamentary officials had said earlier in the week that printing would start after last-minute efforts to fine-tune wording to appease Sunni leaders had failed.
Mr Haysom could not say whether the difficulty with the text as it stood was that parliament had failed to approve the text properly last week or whether that text had changed.
Sunni negotiator Saleh al-Mutlak said that in talks with Kurdish regional president Masoud Barzani, other Sunni leaders had persuaded the non-Arab Kurds to amend the wording of the draft referring to Iraq's Arab nature.
It had said Iraq's Arabs were part of the Arab nation. He said it now read "Iraq is a founding and an active member of the Arab League".
But Mr Mutlak said the text still did not meet with approval from the once dominant Sunni minority, which has voiced concerns about devolving power to Kurds and majority Shiites in northern and southern provinces.
"We will start a campaign to vote 'No' in the referendum," he said. If two thirds of voters in three of Iraq's 18 provinces reject the constitution it will be vetoed and an election in December will choose a new interim parliament to draft a new text.
Earlier, the Independent Electoral Commission said the date of the referendum had now been fixed for October 15, the latest date possible under the interim constitution.
With little over a month for the electorate to digest the charter, Mr Haysom said starting printing was a priority to ensure that voters were fully informed.
The next scheduled sitting of the National Assembly is on Sunday.
EVERYONE!!!!
Heck, why doesn't anyone in Iraq with a PC and a printer just run off lots of copies? Why they'd trust the UN to do it is beyond me.
I thought the UN ran away from Iraq... Ahh well, of course they're back - there is money involved.
This should be in breaking news, IMHO.
Shows once again how the UN is on the side of the terrorists.
My tagline rings true again!
In fairness, I think the title is a little misleading, as obviously there is some question as to what exactly the final text is, given the ongoing negotiations.
If the Sunnis are going to vote no anyway, why should they care what it says??
They're holding out for 5% of the oil revenue.
They will start running the presses as soon as they include a 10% cut off the top in oil revenues for U.N. officials.
Who needs them? Where's the nearest Kinkos?
So get Lou's Quickie Print in Bayone to print it!
Of course the UN wouldn't cooperate here. They prefer muslim dictatorships like Syria, Saddam's Iraq, and the France of the near future. Democracy is their worst nightmare.
let them vote it down and start anew... our founding fathers didn't get it right the first time either...
as for the un.... they can keep their relevence as paper pushers when they get the ok to do so, but tell them to keep their paws off my guns...
teeman8r
So, nobody else has a printing press? Tell the UN to piss off and send the f*ing thing to Kinkos!
You know what?
I am tired of this ****.
I am tired of a Corrupt UN
I am tired of those who pander to them.
I am tired of the socialist repulicans
I am tired of doubly socialist democrats
I am tired of all those who blame Bush for everthing since sliced bread.
I am tired of of a man who hasn't down a thing to reduce the ever growing blob that is the Federal government.
WHATS THE POINT!
I feel we are in a downward spiral due to a guy who doesn't care and the rest who want to own us.
/knee-jerk sarcasm off
Are they going to have the whole shebang there in the voting booth?
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