[JURIST] Several Sunni Arab members of the 71-member team drafting the new Iraq constitution have halted their participation in the process following the assassination of two colleagues [JURIST report] Tuesday. Differing reports say that between 4 and 15 Sunni members have stopped working on the drafting committee [official website] because "the environment in Iraq isn't right for anyone to get work done." Members of the Sunni group National Dialogue called the attacks an attempt to discourage Sunnis from the political process. Despite the walkout, Sheikh Humam al-Hammoudi, head of the constitutional drafting committee, nonetheless told a news conference in Baghdad Wednesday that the draft constitution was on schedule and would be sent to the national assembly in early August; he added that five million copies would be distributed to Iraqi households on August 15. Reuters has more.
News