Iraqis: Constitution Will Beat Deadline

raqi leaders rushing to finish a constitution Saturday reported tentative agreements on distribution of oil wealth and other issues, but there was no deal on the main obstacle: federalism.

President Jalal Talabani predicted the constitution would be submitted to the National Assembly on Sunday — one day before the deadline for parliamentary approval.

But some committee members said serious divisions remained among the Shiite Muslim, Sunni Arab and Kurdish leaders, particularly on the question of whether
Iraq should be transformed into a federated state. Talabani acknowledged negotiations continued.

“The meetings are still going on and we have gone forward,” he told reporters. “There is a meeting today and another meeting tomorrow and, God willing, we will finish the job tomorrow.”

We shall see.

That is a pretty big obstacle to overcome in a day. Of course, it depends on how far along they are in their negotiations.