Dubai, Oct 20: A member of the US-annointed Iraqi governing council said it would possible before the end of next year to draft a constitution and hold elections in the country, as foreseen in the UN Security Council resolution adopted last week. "We can't commit to a precise calendar, but we think it's possible by the end of 2004 at the latest to finish our work : drafting a constitution, conducting a census and putting in an elected government," Mohsen Abdel Hamid told during a visit to the United Arab Emirates yesterday.
The UN Security Council adopted unanimously on Thursday a new resolution which Iraqi governing council until December 15 to set a timetable for carrying out the steps.
"The constitution should stipulate democracy, a multiparty federal system. It will respect the Muslim identity of the majority of Iraqis as well as all religions," he said.
"This constitution should be written by exclusively Iraqis ... Without any foreign interference."

Bureau Report