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More
than 1200 Iraqis have signed the Memorandum issued
by the Iraqi Committee for Democratic Constitution
two weeks ago, calling for the adoption of a number
of principles to write a permanent constitution that
provides the basis for setting up a modern
democratic state and consolidates national unity in
a free unified democratic federal Iraq.
The list of signatories includes Iraqis from all
walks of life, including many professionals,
academics, doctors, engineers, journalists and media
workers, as well as writers, poets, artists and
other intellectuals. The campaign for signing the
petition is continuing, and the list can be seen at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/iraqcdc/petition.html
The memorandum, with the list of signatories, has
been sent to: Mr Jalal Talabani, the President of
the Iraqi Republic; Dr Ibrahim AL-Jaafary, the Iraqi
Prime Minister; Mr Hajem Al-Hassani, the President
of the National Assembly; and Mr Humam Hamoudi, the
head of the Constitution Drafting Committee.
The following is the full text of the petition:
“We, the undersigned, including Iraqi national and
democratic figures, from various tendencies and
affiliations, having recognised the great importance
of the permanent constitution for Iraq, as a social
contract laying the basis for a modern Iraqi state
based on the rule of law and institutions,
preventing the return of dictatorship and
oppression, establishing people’s power and
expressing their free will, call upon all those
among our people who are genuinely concerned for the
cause of democracy and Iraq’s future, to participate
actively in writing a democratic constitution that
strengthens national unity within a unified
democratic federal Iraq.
To achieve this noble aim, that is essential for
Iraq’s destiny, national unity and political future
for decades to come, we call for adopting the
following principles in writing the draft of the
permanent constitution:
- Establishing a democratic, pluralistic,
parliamentary and federal republic.
- Adherence to the principle of citizenship, and
establishing a state of law, institutions
and justice, and ensuring political pluralism and
peaceful transfer of power.
- Separation between executive, legislative and
judicial powers.
- Separation between religion and state; respect for
the Islamic identity of the majority of Iraqi
people, and ensuring the rights of other religions
and sects.
- Adopting the International Declaration of Human
Rights, stressing on civil and political freedoms,
the freedom of expression, demonstration and
organisation (as stipulated in the Transitional
Administrative Law - the interim constitution).
- Equality between women and men, and abiding by all
international covenants concerning the rights of
women and children.
- Prohibiting all forms of discrimination on the
basis of belief, race, gender, colour, or ethnic and
religious affiliation.
- Ensuring the rights of nationalities, religions
and sects.
- Securing federalism for Iraqi Kurdistan, and
national and cultural rights for all the
constituents of the Iraqi people, including
Turkomans, ChaldeoAssyrians, Faili Kurds, Armenians,
Azedians, Sabians, Shabak, Christians, Jews.
Adopting a decentralized form of administration for
the provinces and their relationship with the
central government.
- Ensuring social and economic rights for the
citizen; the right to education, health and work,
and ensuring social security, and complying with
relevant international covenants.
- Ensuring cultural freedom and respect for
ideological, political and national pluralism in our
national culture.
- Subjugating security forces to elected
constitutional institutions and their allegiance to
the homeland.
- Developing an effective constitutional mechanism
for control over the natural resources, especially
the oil wealth, to ensure that it is used to serve
the interests of the people and development of
national economy, and prevent the plunder and
manipulation of this wealth. “
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