The Latest on Iraq’s Constitution

Is there a deal or not? It depends on whom you listen to. The Associated Press says no:

Iraq’s Shiite-dominated constitution committee will submit an amended draft charter to parliament this weekend despite opposition from minority Sunni Arabs who rejected a proposed compromise, negotiators said Saturday.
But Sunni negotiators said they did not accept the revised document, and one of them, Saleh al-Mutlaq, called on Iraqis to reject the document in the Oct. 15 referendum, warning of a “terrifying and dark future awaiting Iraq.”

Reuters, on the other hand, is reporting that the Iraqi factions “have a deal in principle”:

Iraqi leaders have reached a “deal in principle” on a draft constitution, the speaker of parliament said early on Saturday, but no accord was yet clinched and a final decision would only be clear on Sunday.
Hajim al-Hassani, a Sunni, told Reuters that negotiators from the Shi’ite majority had proposed a number of amendments to an existing draft to meet Sunni demands; Sunni leaders had yet to give a definite response, he said, but the amendments did deal with those issues which were troubling the Sunnis.
“There is a deal in principle,” [al-Hassani] said. “Today we had a response from the Shi’ites. Tomorrow the Sunnis are going to meet and we expect a response on Sunday,” he said.

Who’s right? I don’t know, but I do have a prediction: the parties will continue dickering until the last possible moment. But in the end, a compromise will be reached, with some issues being deferred for later resolution.

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