Iraqi parliament to get draft constitution soon

A Shiite negotiator said today that a draft constitution would be presented shortly to parliament but that talks with Sunni Arabs was still ongoing to try to win their acceptance.

“After a while, the final draft that was agreed upon with the Kurdish bloc and other blocs will be brought here so that a meeting of the National Assembly can be held,” Jawad al-Maliki told reporters five hours before the deadline. “This draft will be offered and read and be voted on” before the midnight deadline.