Oppose Changes to Iraqi Charter

NYT reported The leader of Iraq's most powerful party indicated today that his group would block substantive changes to the country's new constitution, despite a promise to Sunnis to consider amendments.

That is a mistake, and one that is liable to cause the terrorist attacks to continue and even increase. The Sunni's were stupid for boycotting the first election. It is not likely that they will be effective in making too many changes this time, but they were promised their proposed changes would be considered, and they should be considered, and possibly some of them should be adopted. The Shi'ites will still have the largest number of members of parliment, and together with the Kurds they dont need to worry about the Sunnis getting in control.

Last summer, as Sunni Arabs protested vehemently against the proposed constitution, the Shiite and Kurd leaders who dominated its drafting promised there would be a four-month window for amending the document following the formation of a new government. But Abdul Azziz al-Hakim, the leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution, the most influential group in the ruling Shiite coalition, today said that "the first principle is not to change the essence of the constitution," according to The Associated Press. "This constitution was endorsed by the Iraqi people," he said, during a speech in honor of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Mr. Hakim appeared to rule out in particular any change in the constitution's provisions allowing the creation of strong regional provinces, a point that had angered many Sunnis.