IRAQI ISLAMIC PARTY LEADER WEIGHS SUPPORT FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 003643 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2015 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM IZ SUBJECT: IRAQI ISLAMIC PARTY LEADER WEIGHS SUPPORT FOR CONSTITUTION Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for reason 1.4 (d) ¶1. (C) In an effort to expand the base of Sunni support for the new constitution, the Ambassador and Embassy staff have engaged those Sunni politicians who -- to varying degrees -- have indicated a readiness to publicly support the current draft in exchange for certain adjustments. Iraqi participants in these discussions have included Secretary General of the Iraqi Islamic Party Tariq al-Hashimi, Secretary General and Spokesman of the Ahl-Alsonna General SIPDIS Conference Adnan al-Dulaimi, and National Dialogue Council members Mahmoud al-Mashadani and Shayk Abdul Nasser al-Janabi. Of these, al-Hashimi's position has been the most forward-leaning. ¶2. (C) At a September 4 meeting, the Ambassador asked Hashimi to identify reasonable changes to the constitution that would enable Hashimi to ask his party to support the new draft. (See para 3 for list). Hashimi stressed that he would need to first sell these changes within his party before making any further commitment. The Ambassador urged him to reach a decision quickly since the window of opportunity for engagement in the constitutional process is closing, and any adjustments would need Shia and Kurdish agreement. Further, he said that if Hashimi would sign a letter identifying achievable changes that the USG could support, the Ambassador would encourage the Shia and Kurds to favorably consider Hashimi's position. ¶3. (SBU) List of proposed adjustment is as follows. Article 3 would read: "Iraq is a country of many nationalities, religions and sects, and is part of the Arab and Islamic worlds." Article 4, section "third" would be changed to read: "The official departments and institutions of the federal and regional governments shall use both languages." Article 108 would be changed to read: "Natural resources, including oil and gas, are owned by all the people of Iraq in all the regions and governorates." Article 109, section "second" would be given a final sentence stating, "Those strategic policies will be subject to approval by the Council of Representatives." Article 114 would be amended to read "conditions and procedures" vice "executive procedures." Article 117, section "fifth" would be given a final sentence stating, "The internal security forces for the region will be regulated by law." Article 122, section "second" would state either (1) that the constitution may be amended after one electoral term, rather than after two successive electoral terms, or (2) that it can be amended without a general referendum. Khalilzad