Publication

This report discusses the drafting and adoption of a permanent constitution in Iraq. The difficult decision for the Transitional National Assembly (TNA) is whether the deadline of 15 August 2005 for completion of the draft should be met, or if it should be extended by a further six months. The authors recommend that the constitutional process should not be rushed at the expense of public education and broad consultation, which should include bringing in not only the Sunni Arabs, but also civil society and other under-represented groups. The extension of the deadline could however let the insurgents score further political points.