AHD AL-IRAQ TO PRESENT DRAFT LEGISLATION IN NEXT COR

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 003422 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KWMN IZ SUBJECT: AHD AL-IRAQ TO PRESENT DRAFT LEGISLATION IN NEXT COR SESSION 1.(U) Ahd al-Iraq Director Dr. Azhar Al-Sheikhly met with Poloff on August 30 to discuss the draft legislation her organization prepared for submission in the next COR session. The group has drafted laws to enhance constitutional protections of equal opportunity (article 16),freedom of expression and freedom of the press (article 38), the personal status code (article 41),the federal supreme court (articles 92-94) and the commission for human rights (article 102). ¶2. (U) Al-Sheikhly said that 803 people, including several ministers, parliamentarians, clerics and civil society leaders, had signed a pledge of support to the Ahd al-Iraq platform. Of the 803 signatories, 24 were parliamentarians (NOTE: Four (4) parliamentarians are members of Ahd al-Iraq: Safia Suhail, Maysoon Damluji, Tania Gilley and Shatha Al-Obaisi. END NOTE). COR bylaws state that any ten (10) members can introduce a law to the Speaker of COR, who can then refer it to a committee for consideration. Al-Sheikhly noted that this would be the vehicle for introducing the legislation to the COR, and asked for Embassy help in lobbying members for support. ¶3. (U) Al-Sheikhly also said that her group held a series of seminars related to their draft legislation, and invited participants from across the spectrum to discuss the issues. While the group has been careful to protect its political independence, it has also worked hard to engage with leaders of parties whose ideologies are very different from their own. For example, Al-Sheikhly said that Sadrist Baha Al-Araji had attended a seminar on the personal status law at her invitation, and that she had also discussed it with SCIRI's Bayan Jabr. She also noted that they were meeting with Minister of State for National Dialogue Affairs Dr. Akram Al-Hakim (SCIRI) to discuss how Ahd al-Iraq could contribute to the national reconciliation dialogue.