 | |  |
 |
|
|
| Iraqis
Prepare to Vote on New Constitution |
Posted:
10.10.05 | |
|
Millions of Iraqi voters are expected to go to the polls on Saturday to decide
whether to support a constitution that Iraqi leaders hope will bring together
the country's three main ethnic groups -- the Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites. Printer-friendly
version: PDF | |
|
|
|
 The
referendum, as the vote is being called, asks voters to vote "yes" or
"no" on the constitution, which Iraq's newly elected parliament authored
with the help of American diplomats.
U.S. officials hope the vote will strengthen
Iraq's fledgling democracy, but some analysts warn it could lead to outright civil
war. | |
| | | |
| The
elements of the constitution | |
|
|
|
|
The constitution calls for a federal, democratic Iraq and includes some of
the following key elements: - Elections are to be held every four years;
- Islam
is the state religion and the main source of law, but religious freedom is guaranteed
and no law overrules democracy or rights granted by the constitution;
- All
Iraqis are equal and guaranteed the right to freedom of expression, press and
assembly;
- Men and women have equal political rights;
- All forms
of torture and inhumane treatment are banned;
- The Baath Party, once led
by Saddam Hussein, is banned;
- Arabic and Kurdish are the country's official
languages; and
- Oil and gas reserves are the property of all Iraqi people
and revenues from oil are to be shared equally by the country's various regions.
A majority of Iraqis
must vote "yes" in order for the document to become law and no more
than two thirds of the voters in three of Iraq's 18 provinces can vote "no,"
or the referendum fails. About 15.5 million of Iraq's 27 million citizens
have registered to vote in the referendum, a slight increase from the 14.3 million
that registered in January's parliamentary elections. About 8.5 million people
actually voted in January. | |
|
| Ethnic
conflicts | |
|
|
|
|
Two of the main ethnic groups, the Kurds and Shiites, many of whom were terrorized
and oppressed under Saddam Hussein's Sunni rule, are expected to vote "yes."
They hope the constitution will give them a new, more independent voice in politics.
The two groups make up almost 80 percent of Iraq's population.  The
minority Sunnis, about 20 percent of the population, are expected to vote "no."
They oppose the constitution's call for federalism -- the idea that the
country will be ruled by one constitution but divided into separate, nearly independent
regions. Sunnis complain the document gives an unfair share of power and
oil wealth to Kurds and Shiites who live in the oil-rich north and south. With
the help of U.S. mediators, Kurdish and Shiite leaders have been holding last-minute
negotiations with Sunni leaders to try to win their support. Regional
Map of Iraq | |
|
| Iraq's
future | |
|
|
|
|
If the constitution is successful, the document will be signed and the country
will hold elections no later than Dec. 15 for a permanent parliament, which will
stay in power for four years before another election is held. If voters
say "no" to the constitution, Iraqis would have to start all over again.
The current parliament would be dissolved, on Dec. 15 Iraqis would vote
for a new temporary parliament, and that parliament would have until October 2006
to write and ratify a new constitution. Either outcome could lead to violence,
Iraqi officials fear. A "yes" vote could result in increased
attacks from angry Sunnis while a "no" vote could lead to mass protests
and even civil war. Polls are expected to open from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Saturday and the Iraqi Electoral Commission expects to announce the results of
the referendum by Oct. 20. | |
|
| Violence
leading up to the vote | |
|
|
|
|
Already, over 300 people have been killed in Iraq in the past two weeks, much
of the violence from attacks launched by Sunni-led insurgents hoping to scare
people away from the polls. The intimidation has worked in some areas of
the country. As the United Nations began distributing copies of the draft constitution
last week, many Iraqis did not want to be seen accepting a copy, and some shopkeepers
refused to distribute copies to their customers for fear of retaliation from insurgents.
 In
Haditha, in the western part of Iraq, insurgents have threatened residents with
death if they vote in the referendum.
Iraqi officials have been forced to
tighten security for Saturday's vote. When polls open, an estimated 100,000
Iraqi police officers and soldiers will be on hand to protect voters. Another
160,000 foreign troops -- mostly Americans -- will provide backup to the Iraqis,
the Reuters news service reported. Other security measures include overnight
curfews in the days leading up to the vote. --
Compiled by Kristina Nwazota for NewsHour Extra | |
| | | |
| | |
Like many Californians, I live in a town where teenagers drive to school in gas-guzzling SUVs and pick-up trucks just because they want to look powerful and extravagant.
