video-Iraq’s Kurdistan Region struggles to overcome dispute

[Aslan]

Article six of Kurdistan’s draft constitution says Islamic Sharia is the basic source of legislation. The article also says that no laws can contradict the established tenets of Islam.

Kurdistan’s President Barzani wanted to put the draft constitution to a referendum. But the constitution was returned to parliament because the opposition parties demanded amendments. Now all articles are up for amendment, including the Islamic article.

Abdul Razaq Ali works for one of President Barzani’s news outlets. He believes Opposition MPs want to reduce President Barzani’s powers by adopting a parliamentary system instead of a presidential one a claim rejected by the opposition.

Ruling MPs decided to postpone September’s presidential elections because the draft constitution was sent back to parliament.

The political tug of war over Kurdistan’s draft constitution has been ongoing for years. It’s believed that these latest demands to amend the Islamic article have come from Kurdish civil society organizations. But the Islamic parties have reasserted their stance and refused to make the constitution secular.


http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/06/23 ... stitution/