Iraqi president urges leaders to resolve constitution dispute

IRAQ’S president urged a spirit of compromise as political leaders gathered yesterday to try to resolve differences over a new constitution that is supposed to be approved by parliament next Monday.

President Jalal Talabani, a Kurdish leader, made the appeal following a meeting with US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, who has stepped up pressure on the Iraqis to meet the August 15 deadline key to Washington’s strategy of drawing down troop strength in Iraq next year.

Mr Talabani called for “consensus to solve all the problems related to drafting the new constitution and that this mission be done at its time”.

Mr Khalilzad urged Iraqis to “lay the foundation for a new Iraq” that will “serve as a democratic model for the region.”

Later, as political leaders assembled at his home, Mr Talabani predicted no final agreement on the constitution’s text would be reached Sunday and said another session already was scheduled for Monday.

Before the meeting began, Mr Khalilzad urged all sides to make compromises.

“The United States believes strongly that the Iraqi constitution should provide equal rights before the law for all Iraqis regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion or sect,” he said in a statement.

Efforts to finish the constitution have accelerated against the backdrop of violence as insurgents seek to derail a process that Washington hopes will in time calm the rebellion.

Insurgents killed at least 32 people in a series of attacks yesterday.

Seven Iraqi soldiers were killed and 17 wounded when a suicide bomber blew up a truck in front of an Iraqi army headquarters in central Tikrit, 180 kilometres north of Baghdad.

Three other Iraqi soldiers were killed when gunmen attacked their patrol in south Baghdad, while two people working in the oil ministry were also shot dead by gunmen in south-east Baghdad.

In Samawa, one civilian was killed and 44 wounded as demonstrators clashed with police during a protest about lack of jobs and public services in this dusty southern Shi’ite town, medical sources said.

Two people were also killed in Baquba when a roadside bomb targeting a police patrol exploded in the town centre. Seven Iraqis were killed at Al-Sharqat, 300 kilometres north of Baghdad when their bus hit a roadside bomb. The dead included three children.

Eleven others were killed in a string of attacks across Iraq. Two US soldiers were killed in a bomb explosion near Samarra on Saturday.