Sunni negotiators approved, but Iraq constitution talks beset by water shortage News
Sunni negotiators approved, but Iraq constitution talks beset by water shortage

[JURIST] A Sunni spokesman said Wednesday that a list of names submitted for the fifteen full committee seats on the drafting committee for the new Iraqi constitution [JURIST news archive] had been approved by the Shi'ite and Kurd politicians, despite earlier reports that the appointments had hit a snag when they were not properly endorsed [JURIST report] by a larger Sunni political group. The 15 seats were allocated to Sunni Muslims under a recent deal [JURIST report] with representatives of the other groups; 10 non-voting Sunni members are expected to be named later. In the meantime, however, full talks have been complicated by an electrical and water shortage in Baghdad affecting the National Assembly, now housed in a convention center in Baghdad's heavily-protected Green Zone. The initial deadline for agreement on a permanent national charter is August 15. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.