IN THE NEWS - Iraq's Temporary Constitution

IN THE NEWS - Iraq's Temporary Constitution
By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Saturday, March 13, 2004

This is Bob Doughty¹ with In the News, in VOA Special English.

A temporary constitution signed this week in Iraq takes effect on July first. That is one day after a temporary government is expected to take office.

 
Iraqi Governing Council
All twenty-five members of the Iraqi Governing Council or their representatives signed the constitution on Monday. Members called it a new beginning for their country. The document will serve as the law during efforts to approve a permanent constitution and to hold elections for leaders.

The constitution is officially known as the Transitional Administrative² Law in Iraq. It calls for elections by the end of next January to choose a temporary assembly. This group will propose a permanent constitution and choose a president and two deputy presidents.

Those three officials will choose a prime minister and a cabinet. The temporary government is to remain in power until Iraqis vote on a permanent constitution and directly elect leaders.

The document signed this week includes a bill of rights. It guarantees freedom of speech and religion. It also guarantees other rights denied by the government of Saddam Hussein, like the right to gather. The constitution says women will be represented in the government. Islam will be the official religion and what the document calls "a source of legislation." And Kurds will continue to have self-rule in northern Iraq.

The signing was delayed last week after bombings in Baghdad and Karbala. The ceremony was delayed a second time last Friday.

Shiite members of the American-appointed council had refused to sign the constitution because of objections by their leaders. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani objected to two parts of the document. One would veto a permanent constitution if two-thirds of voters in any three provinces rejected it. This could give veto power to ethnic³ Kurds. They control three provinces.

Kurds say this part of the document protects them against having Shiites decide the terms of a permanent constitution. But Shiite leaders want it removed. They say it would let the Kurds block the will of the Shiite majority.

About sixty-percent of Iraqis are Shiite. Kurds are about twenty percent. Sunni Muslims are also about twenty percent. Iraq has twenty-five million people.

Shiite leaders also objected to a provision that would permit either of the future deputies to reject decisions of a Shiite president.

Shiite members of the Governing Council say they will seek changes in the parts of the document that they consider undemocratic.

Iraqis who praise the temporary constitution say it gives a voice to all groups. Others who reject the document call it a product of the United States.

President Bush called the signing this week historic. He says Iraq is on a long road to liberty and peace. But he says difficult work remains⁴ to establish democracy in Iraq.

In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Bob Doughty.

1 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

2 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

3 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。