Iraq: UN envoy urges compromise in constitutional review process

On the eve of Iraq’s deadline for completing its Constitutional Review, the top United Nations envoy to the troubled country today called for action to build consensus and foster compromise among all political blocs, pledging the world body’s full support for this process.

“For a successful constitutional review process, all groups will have to come to the table to make compromises, and the process will need to be kept alive until it reaches a conclusion,” Ashraf Qazi, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative, said in Baghdad.

“If this does not occur, the review process has the potential to be extremely divisive exercise,” Mr. Qazi warned.

He reiterated the determination of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) to assist the Constitutional Review Committee in its efforts to deal with the core issues at the heart of how Iraq’s federal system will function.

Chief among those is the creation of a balanced division of powers between the federal government and the regions and a system for the fair distribution of oil revenues throughout Iraq.

“UNAMI believes the constitutional review is an opportunity that should be seized to find an agreement that addresses the concerns and anxieties of all communities, and believes that such solutions exist and urges Iraqis to work together to find them,” the mission said in a press release.

It is also an opportunity to address the real gaps and problems in the current constitutional text, the mission added, pointing out that properly addressing and improving the system of governance contained in the Constitution so that it functions more effectively is not a concession by any bloc or group.

“Everyone would be a winner if this were to occur,” the mission concluded.