Constitutional Committee in Basra

The Preparatory Committee for Drafting the Constitution met Sunday in Basra, chaired by Salah al-Battat. Attending members were Drs. Muhammad al-Muzaffar, Mahdi Jad Mahdi, and Safa' al-Din al-Safi. Sayyid `Ali `Abd al-Hakim made opening remarks in which it was mentioned that Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani had prepared a prototype constitution, which the committee was studying. He said he was sure that the constitution would reflect the spirit of the Islamic legal system, and that it would be an indigenous document. He said the committee was holding serial town meetings, having been in Nasiriya on Saturday. (-al-Zaman). (Note that the reporter's name is `Abd al-Battat, and he may be a relative of the committee chair). The preparatory committee's work has so far been insufficiently transparent, and anyway, the Interim Governing Council should just have elections for a constitutional convention and get on with it. They have surely taken enough soundings by now.