BAGHDAD, March 8: Iraq's temporary constitution, signed on Monday, will take effect on July 1 and last until a permanent charter is drawn up by a new parliament directly elected by the people before the end of Jan 2005.
Comprising some 64 articles split into nine chapters, the basic law will take effect after the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) hands back sovereignty to a caretaker Iraqi government on June 30. The main points of the constitution are:
PREAMBLE: The temporary constitution strives to reclaim the Iraqi people's freedom "which was usurped by the previous tyrannical regime".
ROLE OF ISLAM - Article 7 states: "Islam is the official religion of the state and is to be considered a source of legislation.
"This law shall respect the Islamic identity of the majority of the people of Iraq, but guarantees the complete freedom of all religions and their religious practices."
PRESIDENCY: Iraq will have one president and two vice presidents. (The selection of the president depends on whether Iraq becomes a parliamentary or presidential state, which has yet to be decided.)
FEDERAL IRAQ: Kurdistan will retain its federal status and the rest of Iraq will be given the right to prepare to form states.
LANGUAGE: Arabic and Kurdish are described as the two official languages, while all other minorities have the right to use their own language in education.
DIRECT ELECTIONS: A body, yet to be decided, will take back sovereignty from the US-led coalition on June 30 and prepare for direct elections for a transitional national assembly "if possible, before December 31, 2004 and, in any case, no later than January 31, 2005."
PERMANENT ASSEMBLY: The transitional national assembly will draw up a permanent constitution by Aug 15, 2005, which will be put to a national referendum no later than Oct 15, 2005. -AFP
