Kurdish politicians opposed the proposal made by Iraqiya List yesterday to amend the constitution within the next three months.

Yesterday, Iraqiya List, led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki'ss main rival, former Prime Minister Ayyad Allawi, urged parliament to amend the constitution and prevent prime ministers from serving three terms "as a measure to avoid the restoration of dictatorship in Iraq." Maliki is now in his second term

"The threat of dictatorship cannot be eliminated by preventing someone form serving athird term. But of course, Iraqiya List can make parliament take its role and monitor the government," Latif Othman from Goran Movement said.

Othman also said that in his opinion no amendment could be made in three months, not even in two years "if one party is against the amendments".

Technically, Othman is wrong. According to article 126 of the Iraqi constitution, any amendment can be made "with the approval of two-thirds of the members of the Council of Representatives, the approval of the people in a general referendum, and the ratification of the President of the Republic". Even if one or several parties oppose an amendment, that would not prevent two thirds of the members of parliament from making it.

But Muaayed Tayyeb, spokesman for the Kurdish Blocs Coalition (KBC) is indeed right when he says that no amendments can be made, "if some political party or personality wants to impose the amendments unilaterally."

"And if the amendments are to annul article 140, which has been long debated between Kurds and Baghdad, we will in no way allow this," Tayyeb said.

Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution authorizes payments to Kurds who were forced from their homes under Saddam Hussein, a comprehensive census of ethnic groups and a referendum to decide if disputed areas should fall under the control of Kurdistan Regional Government. It has not yet been implemented


LH/CU/AKnews