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BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Iraqi efforts to draft a
new constitution are weakened by the lack of
political experience within the minority Sunni Arab
community, the prime minister's spokesman said
Sunday. Laith Kuba said the process to draw up
Iraq's first post-Saddam Hussein constitution will
be hindered if any group is "marginalized."
Sunni Arabs, who enjoyed great influence when their
patron Saddam ruled Iraq, have fallen from power and
are calling for a greater say within a parliamentary
committee that is drawing up a constitution. Their
leaders claim they have lost out to Iraq's majority
Shiite community and the U.S.-allied Kurds, who
swept to power in historic Jan. 30 national
elections.
Iraq's Kurdish community has enjoyed relative
autonomy in the northern Kurdistan region since the
early 1990s, under the protection of a
U.S.-controlled no-fly zone barring Saddam's
warplanes from flying over the area. The region has
also established its own parliament-like assembly to
control affairs.
Kuba said this has given Iraqi Kurds greater
political experience than Sunni Arabs, which could
be a disadvantage for the latter in trying to have a
bigger say in the country's future.
"The most powerful (force in drafting the
constitution) might be the Kurdish parties because
they have had experience in this field, but the
weakest side might be the Sunnis because it is the
first time they entered true negotiations," Kuba
said during a press conference.
He did not explain why he thought the Shiite-led
government of Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari had
the necessary experience. Although Shiites make up
an estimated 60% of the population, they were
suppressed under Saddam's secular Sunni-dominated
regime.
"I believe this might be the weak point in the
constitutional process, which is Sunni parties might
lack experience," he said.
President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, said during the
week that Sunnis may receive an additional 20 to 25
seats on the 55-member constitutional committee,
which currently includes just two Sunni Arabs.
But there is widespread reluctance by many Shiite
Muslim politicians to grant Sunnis more than 14
seats — the same number as Kurds.
Sunni alienation from the political process is seen
as a driving force behind Iraq's raging insurgency,
which has killed more than 930 people since the
country's new Shiite-dominated government was
announced April 28.
"It doesn't serve the interest of any side if any
other party is marginalized," Kuba said.
AP
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