Backgrounder: twists and turns during the making of Iraq's constitution

Iraqi National Assembly session votes to extend a deadline for negotiators to present a draft constitution in Baghdad in this image taken from television footage August 15, 2005. (Photo: Yahoo)

    BAGHDAD, Aug. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraqi lawmakers voted late night on Monday to amend the interim law to seek a new Aug. 22 deadline to finalize the country's constitution.

    The lawmakers unanimously approved the amendment with a show ofhands and agreed to seek a fresh deadline of Aug. 22 to complete adraft constitution.

    The approval came after parliament speaker Hajim al-Hasani proposed the one week extension for the deadline.

    "We weren't able despite all efforts to reach solutions that would satisfy everyone," al-Hasani told the lawmakers.

    "The national assembly should draft the permanent constitution within a period ending by Aug. 22," he said while reading the proposed amendment to the interim law.

    Afterwards, the parliament approved his proposal with just 20 minutes left before the midnight deadline on Monday.

    Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari said the issues unresolvedwere federalism and distribution of national wealth.

Iraq's national speaker Hajim al-Hasani speaks during the meeting. (Xinhua photo)

    However, he stressed that the parliament's decision on a new deadline "is not a political crisis, but just a problem and can beovercome."

    Iraqi government spokesman Leith Kubba told an interview with the BBC's Newsnight program late Monday that "the first step to avoid the country drifting into civil war or lawlessness is the constitution," and "drafting that constitution is the most important step towards stability and recovery."

    He said Iraq must create a constitution "that will take everyone onboard and rebuild the state, rebuild the army, rebuild the security, rebuild the democracy."

    He also said it "is not going to happen" that the constitution would turn Iraq into a Islamic republic.

    The fresh deadline seemed to have been accepted by Washington.

    US President George W. Bush on Monday praised Iraqi negotiatorsfor their efforts to hammer out a constitution despite delays.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani speaks after the election draft committee has asked for an extension on their charter in Bagdad, capital of Iraq, on August 15, 2005. (Xinhua photo)

    "I applaud the heroic efforts of Iraqi negotiators and appreciate their work to resolve remaining issues through continued negotiation and dialogue," Bush said in a statement released at his Texas ranch.

    "We wish the Iraqi leaders and the Iraqi people well as the negotiators complete the constitutional drafting process," Bush said.

    Also on Monday, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said theIraqi lawmakers "have achieved a lot and have generated considerable momentum toward the completion of their constitution."

    "We are confident that they will complete this process and continue on the path toward elections for a permanent government at the end of the year," she added.

    US Ambassador to Baghdad Zalmay Khalilzad admitted that Iraq's draft constitution was not ready in time for Monday's deadline andhave had to extend the time limit by another week.

    "There have been substantial agreements, but they need a week to finalize it," he said.

    The draft constitution was scheduled to be finished before the Aug. 15 deadline, and then put to a referendum in October ahead ofnew elections in December. Enditem