IRAQ: Iraq's Governing Council signed an interim constitution yesterday after weeks of wrangling in a key step for the June 30th launch of a sovereign Iraqi government, but Iraq's top Shia cleric sharply criticised the document.
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who wields immense influence over the country's 60 per cent Shia majority, said in a statement the interim charter would make it harder for Iraq to agree on a permanent constitution, a foundation for democracy.
Ayatollah Sistani's objections forced the signing of the constitution to be abandoned at the last minute on Friday when five Shia council members backed out of the ceremony. They agreed to go ahead with the signing after talks at the weekend with the ayatollah and other clerics.
Shia politicians said Ayatollah Sistani gave them the go-ahead to sign despite his objections because he did not want to seem to be blocking progress. But the cleric's misgivings will make it harder for Iraq's occupiers to win backing for their plans.
Blasts rang out across Baghdad just before the signing. Children dressed in Iraqi national costume sang traditional songs to assembled dignitaries at the ceremony.
Police said guerrillas fired mortars at a police station, wounding three civilians and two policemen. Security forces had been on high alert for attacks aimed at disrupting the signing.
Mr Adnan Pachachi, a senior member of the Iraqi Governing Council, said the event was "a great and historic day for Iraq". Iraq's US governor, Mr Paul Bremer, also hailed the agreement and noted the difficulties it had faced.
"We are witnessing the birth of democracy, and birth is painful, as we've learned over the last few evenings," he told the council. "Not everyone got everything they wanted in this law - that's the way of democracy."
US Secretary of State Colin Powell praised the agreement.
"Read what it says about democracy, rights, liberty and what the new Iraq will look like," he said. "Read what it says and you will see the vision the Iraqi people have for themselves."
The ceremony had been delayed twice - first by bomb attacks on Shias that killed at least 181 people last Tuesday, and then by Ayatollah Sistani's intervention on Friday. Governing council members said his main objection was a clause that could allow minority Kurds to veto a permanent constitution if it does not enshrine their demands for autonomy.