Iraqi politicians agree on interim constitution

Iraqi politicians agreed early yesterday on an interim constitution with a wide-ranging bill of rights and a single chief executive, bridging a gulf between members over the role of Islam in the future government, coalition and Iraqi officials said.

The new constitution, a key step in the US plan to turn over power on June 30, will be signed by top US administrator Paul Bremer tomorrow, after the Shiite Muslim religious holiday of Ashoura ends, a coalition official said on condition of anonymity. The charter will remain in effect until a permanent constitution is drafted and ratified next year.

The coalition official said the document strikes a balance between the role of Islam and the bill of individual rights and democratic principles, by calling Islam a source, but not a primary source, for the implementation of civil law.

According to an Iraqi official, the politicians agreed on compromises on the role of Islam but put off details on some aspects of Kurdish autonomy.

There was "full agreement ... on each article," said Entifadh Qanbar, a spokesman for Shiite Muslim council member Ahmad Chalabi.

The document was cobbled together in the early morning after two days of talks by members of the Governing Council and describes the future Iraq as a federalist state along the lines of Canada, Brazil and India, with considerable authority handed to individual regions.