9.4 |
June 2005 to May 2006
public
assets and freedom of movement. It guaranteed healthcare, including
for “the
handicapped
and those with special needs”, education and environmental
protection.
It defined
rights regarding freedom of expression, including “freedom of
thought,
conscience,
and belief” and the free practice of religious rites “including the
[Shia]
Husseini
rituals”.
•
Federal
powers. This section
defined the division of legislative and executive
power
and
described the roles of independent commissions. In relation to the
Council
of
Representatives (the federal legislature), it said that “the
representation of all
components
of the people shall be upheld in it”. It described the powers of
the
President,
Council of Ministers, Higher Judicial Council and Supreme
Court.
•
Powers of the
Federal Government. This section
defined the areas in which the
federal
authorities had exclusive competence, including foreign policy,
national
security
policy, fiscal and customs policy and the budget. It said Iraq’s
oil and
gas
reserves would be managed by the federal government “with the
producing
governorates
and regional governments”.
•
Powers of the
regions. The federal
system was defined in this section as
“made up of
a decentralized capital, regions, and governorates, as well as
local
administrations”.
One or more governorates could form a region following
a
referendum,
and each region would adopt its own constitution, which should
not
contradict
the national Constitution on areas in which the federal government
was
competent.
An “equitable share” of revenues would be allocated to regions
and
governorates.
•
Final and
transitional provisions. This section
defined the process by which the
Constitution
could be amended, including through the formation of a committee
to
recommend
amendments comprising members of the Council of
Representatives
“representing
the principal components of the Iraqi society”. It also stipulated
that a
“Presidency
Council” should be “elected by one list and with a two-thirds
majority” in
the Council
of Representatives, to undertake the role of the President in the
first term
after the
Constitution was adopted.
362.
The day after
the referendum, President Talabani issued a decree,
announcing
that
Parliamentary elections would take place on 15 December in
accordance with the
363.
Political
negotiations about the possibility of postponing the December
election had
continued
to the last moment. Mr Patey reported that the US and UK had
lobbied hard
against
postponement as “the extra time would almost certainly not have
helped”. In his
view, “our
pressure was crucial in keeping the various parties on
track”.
364.
On 16 October,
Mr Blair had lunch at Chequers with Secretary
Rice.160
365.
Mr Blair
made clear that Iraq was the number one priority for the UK and
that active
UK and US
work would be needed over the coming critical months.
159
eGram
15761/05 Baghdad to FCO London, 17 October 2005, ‘Iraq:
Elections’.
160
Letter
Sheinwald to Hayes, 16 October 2005, ‘Prime Minister’s meeting with
US Secretary of State,
16 October
2005: Iraq’.
549