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Iraqi Constitution Deadline Extended Again

26 August 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Consultations on a final draft of Iraq's constitution have been extended for at least one more day in another bid to win the approval of Sunni Arab negotiators.

Parliament speaker Hajim al-Hassani announced the extension of talks shortly after a 25 August midnight deadline passed without parliament taking a vote on the document.

Al-Hassani expressed hope that a deal could still be reached.

But he said that if negotiators fail to agree a compromise, no parliamentary vote is required and the constitution text currently backed by Shi'ite and Kurdish lawmakers would instead be passed directly to Iraqi voters to decide in a 15 October referendum.

(AP/Reuters)

Copyright (c) 2005. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org