Iraq set to sign new constitution

Iraq ended three days of mourning for the victims of bloody attacks on Shiite shrines, opening the way for the signing today of the country’s interim constitution. Hours before the ceremony, several explosions went off in the capital, including two roadside bombs.

Amid tight security, the US.-appointed Governing Council was signing the new charter, a key landmark in American plans to hand over power on June 30.

The signing was delayed for nearly a week – first by the tough negotiations among council members that went beyond a February 28 deadline, then by the deadly suicide attacks on Tuesday that killed scores of Shiite pilgrims.

The top US administrator, Paul Bremer, and chief British representative Jeremy Greenstock mediated with the council members through the night in the marathon session that sealed the deal at around dawn Monday. Compromises were struck on some of the toughest issues – the role of Islam and federalism.

The draft recognises Islam as a source of legislation. In a concession to religious conservatives who wanted Islam to be the main source, it also states that no law will be passed that violates the tenets of the Muslim religion.

It also accepts the principle of federalism but leaves it to a future elected national assembly to decide the details of self-rule for Iraq’s Kurdish minority.

Delegates hammered out a system that would allow any of Iraq’s 18 provinces to choose to join together to form federal regions – a provision that opens the door for Shiites to form a self-rule region in the south similar to the Kurds’ region in the north.

The US-based rights group Human Rights Watch criticised the document today, saying it does not do enough to protect women’s rights, particularly in the area of family law.

The United States will transfer sovereignty to the Iraqis on June 30 – though it has yet to be decided how to pick the government that will take power. US troops, however, will only gradually transfer security duties to Iraqi police and civil defence.