2005-10-05,+ICP+CC+Statement,+Oct2,+2005

= **To Vote for the Constitution and Strengthen its Civil-Democratic Elements** =

The National Assembly has, at last, adopted the version of the draft constitution to be presented to our people in a public referendum on 15th October 2005. By endorsing this draft, our people will fulfil an important requirement of the on-going political process in the country. It will be a significant development in the direction of consolidating democracy and its institutions and completing the transitional phase. Furthermore, it will be a big step towards restoring security, stability and normality, in order to launch the process of reconstruction, revive the national economy and build a state based on the rule of law and institutions.

Our Party has dealt with the draft constitution, taking into account the difficult, exceptionally abnormal current conditions in our country, as well as the balance of forces that dominated the process of its formulation. While positively evaluating it, the Party stated our reservations regarding many of its articles and items. We also stressed that the draft constitution, despite its importance, must not be as a final document, especially as it contains mechanisms and rules that allow for changing what we consider to be contravening the desired civil - democratic character of the constitution, limit women rights and vagueness of some of its articles rendering them open to interpretation. This requires building up the necessary prerequisites to transform it into a civil constitutional document for a modern democratic state.

Based on this assessment of the draft, we call upon our party members, our supporters, and all our people to vote "yes" for the constitution that would be the first Iraqi constitution to be ratified in a public referendum.

On this occasion, we reiterate our position in support of the political process, looking forward to its completion, and to the forthcoming elections taking place on time. We want these elections to be characterized by transparency, integrity and free competition on the basis of political programs and free choice, without any kind of coercion and pressure. Shortcomings and faults that marred the previous elections must be eliminated.

This requires that the government, its bodies, and the Independent Higher Commission supervising the elections be neutral and provide the necessary prerequisites and conditions, especially security, to conduct the forthcoming elections and ensure its success. This will create a climate of confidence and calm, contributing to security, defeat of the forces of terror and their wicked schemes, and moving forward to provide the prerequisites for ending foreign military presence and building a unified federal democratic Iraq.

The forthcoming elections also require that all patriotic and democratic forces coordinate their efforts and develop joint actions to mobilize the broadest sections of the people and prepare them for participating in these elections. The aim is to ensure that the election results will be truly representative of the political and social balance of forces in our country, putting an end to the sectarian and ethnic polarization and its disastrous consequences, and to the odious policy of sharing the monopoly of power. This will contribute to consolidating the civil - democratic rights stipulated in the constitution, enabling Iraq to achieve security and stability, strengthen its national unity, restore its full sovereignty and advance along the path of construction and development. Baghdad 2-10-2005