It appears that, after having come quite close twice before, Iraq’s lawmakers have given up hope of getting a constitution written by tonight’s deadline.
Iraq Lawmakers Won’t Meet on Constitution (AP)
Parliament announced it had no plans to meet Thursday night and no date for a future session, signaling Iraqi factions were failing to reach agreement on a new constitution before a self-imposed midnight target. The statement from National Assembly’s top spokesman, Bishro Ibrahim, came as negotiators struggled for consensus on a draft by the close of a 72-hour extension granted Monday night by parliament, after Sunni Arabs blocked a vote on a charter accepted by Shiite and Kurdish negotiators.
A shame. The Shiites and Kurds, at least, have put together two drafts but been given more time twice to get the minority Sunnis on board. Apparently, that’s not going to happen.
