Iraq approves constitution

2005-10-20 14:13

Najaf - The deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament said on Thursday that the country's post-Saddam Hussein constitution had been approved in a weekend referendum.

"The draft constitution passed and the official results will soon be announced," Hussein Shahristani, a Shi'ite, said from the holy city of Najaf south of Baghdad.

Iraqis voted in a referendum on 15 October on the charter that would lay down the legal and democratic framework for the country following Saddam's ouster in a Unied States-led invasion in 2003.

"We received initial results from poll observers around Iraq and the independent electoral commission will make the official announcement," he added, without giving a timeframe.

The commission itself, which has delayed announcing the results after reporting vote irregularities, declined to comment on the statement, saying only that the vote count was not yet complete.

Shahristani, a scientist jailed by the previous regime for refusing to participate in Iraq's alleged nuclear programme, was in Najaf to create a new coalition called the "independents" to compete in the December parliamentary elections.

- AFP