BAGHDAD, Aug. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraqis live another difficult day waiting to finish the constitution on Thursday, deadline for approving it in the National Assembly (parliament), while clashes between Shiite groups further complicate the situation.

    Amid the anxious anticipation, Sunni Arabs announced their disapproval of the draft constitution that was presented to the National Assembly on Monday and they threatened to veto it through the referendum.

    Meanwhile clashes occurred between two Shiite parties in Najaf,180 km south of Baghdad.

    The clashes took place between the followers of the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and Badr Brigade, the militia of the Higher Council of Islamic Revolution, the largest Shiite party allying with Al Daawa Party headed by Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

    Soon the clashes extended to many parts of the country, 23 of Sadr's followers announced suspending their membership in the National Assembly in addition to three ministers and a number of deputy ministers.

    The government headed by Jaafari is trying to calm down the situation by responding to the demands of the followers of al-Sadrto investigate and punish those who started the events.

    Jaafari also issued a statement strongly condemning the attack.

    After several connections between the government and Sadr, the young leader in a press conference Thursday morning called on his supporters to control themselves, calm down and return to their houses.

    Sadr thanked the government for the procedures it had taken to punish those who caused the sedition, but the situation is still very tense in Najaf in addition to several other cities where violence also started.

    The government, which is controlled by Shiites and Kurds, feels that these clashes would increase the complexity of the situation at a time it tries to convince the Sunni Arabs to agree to the draft constitution, to which Sadr and his followers object.

    Sadr led to uprisings against the Americans last year, mobilized thousands of his supporters once again this week in protest of the constitution.

    His challenge to the American forces and his constant demand of their departure also gained him the respect from the Sunnis.

    Minutes before the deadline of midnight on Monday, Iraq's parliament speaker Hachim al-Hassani announced the draft constitution had been presented to the parliament, but a vote was delayed by three days in order to resolve some outstanding issues including federalism.

    Iraqi President Jalal Talabani expressed late Thursday his hope that consensus could be reached with Sunni Arabs over the country's draft constitution, hours before the midnight deadline.

    "Efforts were underway to reach a consensus over the draft constitution during the coming hours," Talabani said in a news conference after meeting 15 Sunni Arab constitution writers.

    Salih al-Mutlak, a Sunni Arab negotiator also told reporters after meeting Talabani, "consensus over the draft should also be the beginning of national reconciliation among all parts of the Iraqi people."

    However, he said "Sunnis will not make concessions on issues linked to sovereignty, powerful central government and fair distribution of wealth to all Iraqis, but they will be flexible on minor issues."

    The Sunni Arab Muslims remained opposed to federalism favored by the Kurds and Shiite Muslims who together dominated the parliament.

    Because political parties and factions failed to reach consensus, the Iraqi parliament late Thursday had to cancel its session to vote on the draft constitution.

    "The parliament session has been postponed without setting a new date...until meetings are finished and (leaders) reach an agreement on pending issues," an official with parliament media department told reporters.

    "As the draft constitution has already been submitted to the national assembly, there is no legal problem (in delaying) as far as the interim law is concerned," said the official.

    The draft constitution must be approved by a simple majority of the 275-member National Assembly before being put to a referendum by Oct. 15. If any three of Iraq's 18 provinces reject by a two-thirds majority, the constitution will be vetoed.

    The political haggling took place against a backdrop of violence. With clashes erupting between rival Shiite groups, gunmen opened fire at Iraqi civilians in a popular cafe in Abu Sayda town, northeast of Baghdad, killing five people and wounding eight others on Thursday.

    Another group of gunmen also ambushed the convoy of president Talabani though he wasn't in any of the cars in northern Iraq on Thursday, killing two of his bodyguards and wounding three others,said a source from the Salahudin provincial police.

    Meanwhile, Iraqi police said on Thursday they have found 36 bodies of men shot in the head and dumped in a shallow river south of Baghdad.

    The decomposing bodies of men aged at between 25 to 35 and wearing local civilian clothes were discovered in Whraiyda area near the road between Baghdad and Kut, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

    Under the chaotic circumstances, the Iraqis have felt disappointed at what has happened, fearing that the constitution that was expected to bring Iraq together and unify the people might lead to separation, conflicts, political chaos and instability. Enditem