Iraq delays divisive federalism debate

BAGHDAD – Iraq’s dominant Shi’ites were on a collision course with the Sunni Arab former elite yesterday after parliament delayed a controversial debate on dividing the war-torn country into autonomous regions.

The 275-member parliament had been due to begin discussing proposals for an autonomous region in Shi’ite areas of central and southern Iraq like that in the Kurdish north. But stiff opposition from the Sunni Arabs, who threatened to boycott the debate, along with splits within the main Shi’ite bloc that heads the government forced leaders to announce a postponement.Shi’ite deputy parliament speaker Khalid al-Attiya told reporters that the debate on the bill proposed by the Shi’ite United Iraqi Alliance would now begin on September 19.He said there would be a second reading on September 21 to be followed by a “vote four days after that.”Attiya said “parliament’s legal committee and the committee to review provinces and regions will first discuss the draft among themselves.”One of the main factions in the Shi’ite bloc – the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) – has been championing proposals for a fully federal system.But the Sunni Arab minority, which dominated Saddam Hussein’s regime and all previous Iraqi governments, is fiercely opposed to a federal Iraq for fear it will leave the country’s northern and southern oil fields in the hands of the Kurds and Shi’ites.Their main parliamentary bloc – the National Concord Front – announced it would boycott debate on the proposal that will lead to Iraq’s break-up.Amid the divisions over the proposal, others called for reflection.Nampa-AFPBut stiff opposition from the Sunni Arabs, who threatened to boycott the debate, along with splits within the main Shi’ite bloc that heads the government forced leaders to announce a postponement.Shi’ite deputy parliament speaker Khalid al-Attiya told reporters that the debate on the bill proposed by the Shi’ite United Iraqi Alliance would now begin on September 19.He said there would be a second reading on September 21 to be followed by a “vote four days after that.”Attiya said “parliament’s legal committee and the committee to review provinces and regions will first discuss the draft among themselves.”One of the main factions in the Shi’ite bloc – the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) – has been championing proposals for a fully federal system.But the Sunni Arab minority, which dominated Saddam Hussein’s regime and all previous Iraqi governments, is fiercely opposed to a federal Iraq for fear it will leave the country’s northern and southern oil fields in the hands of the Kurds and Shi’ites.Their main parliamentary bloc – the National Concord Front – announced it would boycott debate on the proposal that will lead to Iraq’s break-up.Amid the divisions over the proposal, others called for reflection.Nampa-AFP