An Iraqi worker lifts a billboard on the Oct. 15 referendum. (Reuters)

BAGHDAD, October 12, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Iraq's parliament on Wednesday, October 12, endorsed last-minute changes to the constitution just three days before a referendum on the document, with leading Sunni groups remained opposing to the charter.

"Since there was no objection after the reading of the modifications, we can consider it approved," Humam Hamudi, chairman of the constitution drafting committee, said after lawmakers met to review the changes, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"Today is a day for national consensus," Iraq's Kurdish President Jalal Talabani told the assembly.

Under a deal reached on Tuesday, October 11, Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish leaders agreed to introduce amendments to the draft constitution and to create a panel to consider the changes once legislative elections were held in December.

"The points which have been added to the draft constitution cover seven or eight issues concerning the unity of Iraq, the Arab language, laws regarding the former Baath party and a mechanism for amending the constitution," said Abdel Aziz Al-Hakim, leader of the Shiite Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI).

The final draft constitution has been handed over to the UN for printing and distribution after being endorsed by the Shiites and Kurds, who hold a sweeping majority in parliament.

Sunnis have been opposing the constitution, basically to the inclusion of federalism in the new charter because they believe it will divide Iraq and exclude them from sharing in oil wealth.

"We added that Iraq is a united country," Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari said of the changes.

"We also included the provision that government administrations in Kurdistan will use the Arabic language as well as the Kurdish language."

The eleventh-hour talks also agreed on a provision that "archeological sites and treasures are national resources controlled by the central government along with regional and provincial governments," Jaafari added.

Sunni Split

"We ask people to go and vote 'No' to this constitution," Mutlak said. (Reuters)

The new constitution changes won the support of the Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's main Sunni party, Reuters said.

"We agreed Iraqis should say 'Yes'," the party's general secretary Tareq Al-Hashimi said.

He stressed that his party members aimed to negotiate amendments in the new parliament.

However, other Sunni groups remained opposing to the document.

"This is a ploy to persuade people not to vote 'No' to the ethnic and sectarian racist constitution," the Iraqi National Dialogue said in a statement of behalf of 19 Sunni groups.

"We ask people to go and vote 'No' to this constitution," the body's spokesman Saleh Al-Mutlak said.

The Association of Muslim Scholars, Iraq's main religious Sunni authority, echoed similar opposition.

"Anyone supporting this constitution is merely ruining his reputation," said Abdul Salam Al-Kubaisi.

"We are telling people it is up to them whether to boycott the ballot or cast a 'No' vote," he added.

Twenty one leading Iraqi Sunni groups urged Saturday, October 8, the Iraqi people to vote down the proposed draft, warning the charter would trigger the country's break-up.

Sunnis are a majority in Al-Anbar, Nineveh and Salahudin provinces and Iraq's interim law stipulates that the text fails if two-thirds of any three provinces vote against it during the referendum.