Rice calls for more Sunni involvement in Iraq constitutional process News
Rice calls for more Sunni involvement in Iraq constitutional process

[JURIST] On a visit to Iraq Sunday Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged the Shiite- and Kurd-dominated government to involve the Sunni Arabs – estimated to make up anywhere from 20% [US DOD report] to over 50% [IslamOnline report] of Iraq's population, based on different counting methodologies – in writing the country's new constitution. The recently-formed constitutional committee of the Iraqi National Assembly [Wikipedia entry] has 55 members, but only two Sunnis. Rice repeated administration concerns that the Iraqi constitution-drafting process be inclusive [State Department transcript]. The San Jose Mercury News 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.