Iraq's parliament has agreed to wait for another week to complete a draft constitution. Some experts say the main sticking points are divisions on political power and economic interests. CRI reporter Zhou Yun has this story.



Iraq's Parliament adjourned after voting to extend the deadline until August 22.

Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish framers of the charter had reached agreement on issues ranging from oil revenues to the country's name. However, some key questions still remain.

Zhang Xiaodong, an expert on Iraqi issues with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says the fundamental problem is division of political power and economic interest.

"Contentious questions remain division of power and resources. Interest of different parties is difficult to balance. The process of making policies and drafting a constitution is quite complicated and involves fierce contention of power."

The constitution draft was scheduled to be finished before August 15. And the expert says it is hard to say whether a new August 22 deadline can be met to finalize the constitution.

But, he says the completion of a constitution is of vital importance to Iraq's political situation.

"This year is very important for Iraq's political process. Whether a constitution can be completed on schedule, whether general elections can be held under the framework of the new constitution, and whether a new formal Iraqi government can be formed are vital for Iraq's political development."

He adds that the efforts made by Iraqis to finalize a draft constitution show their determination to maintain political momentum under intense pressure from the United States.

Zhou Yun, CRI News