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Lack of Consensus Delays Iraq Constitution


Iraq's parliament has extended for a week the deadline for producing a draft constitution, after the committee drafting the document failed to agree on a charter by Monday's deadline.

Despite missing the deadline, negotiators scheduled no meetings for Tuesday.

Representatives of Iraq's ethnic and religious communities are trying to agree on several issues, including the role of Islam and the structure of power-sharing between the central and regional governments.

Iraq's Planning Minister, Barham Saleh, says extending the deadline to reach a consensus shows Iraqis are taking the document very seriously.

The United States also played down the delay, with President Bush issuing a statement praising the committee's effort, calling it a "tribute to democracy."

If a new draft is not ready by next Monday, the interim government and parliament will have to be dissolved and new elections held.
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