Iraqi National Conference Delayed By Two Weeks

by Kamal Taha
BAGHDAD, July 29 (AFP) - Iraq's national conference, a vast experiment in democracy that was due to start Saturday, has been delayed by two weeks at the behest of the United Nations, organisers announced Thursday.
"Despite the fact preparations for the national conference were complete... we responded to a request from the United Nations to delay the conference for two weeks," Fuad Maasum, head of the preperatory committee, told reporters.
"This is to continue the dialogue with all forces of Iraqi society and create more media awareness about the issues that will be dealt with at the conference."
The delay came one day after a suicide bombing northeast of Baghdad and a wave of other attacks left more than 120 dead and scores wounded.
Maasum denied security played a part in postponing the event, scheduled to take place in Baghdad and attract some 1,000 delegates from all over the country.
Earlier an aide to Maasum told AFP that the request for delay came directly from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
"We got a letter from Kofi Annan in which he asked us for a delay. We discussed it and decided to delay. For two weeks only," said Abdul Halim al-Ruhaimi.
"President Ghazi al-Yawar will send a letter to the secretary general to inform him of our decision," he added.
Ruhaimi said the delay had been requested in a bid to persuade political groups who have refused to take part in the conference to come on board.
Shiite Muslim radical leader Moqtada Sadr, who led a revolt against US forces in the spring, has boycotted the conference.
For his part, a UN avdvisor in Baghdad said some extra time was needed to create social awareness and dialogue about the importance of the conference and its goals.
"It is a historic chance to bring people from varied political, religious, ethnic and cultural backgrounds all under one tent," said Jamal Benomar.
"We just need a little more time to create awareness about the vital issues that the conference will tackle such as security, reconstruction, the transition process and elections and justice during the interim period."
He denied the United Nations pressured the Iraqis for the delay.
Earlier, Mithal al-Alussi, from the Iraqi National Congress party taking part in the event, said UN special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi had also pressed the conference's preparatory committee to agree to postpone the meeting.
"Lakhdar Brahimi spoke to the preparatory committee by telephone on Wednesday evening, asking the members not to hold the conference on Saturday and delay it," Alussi said.
He lashed out at Brahimi's intervention "as not serving democracy and the political process in Iraq".
Sources close to the event have been frustrated by what they call a serious lack of organisation and a failure to publish guidelines or kick off a publicity campaign.
In several of Iraq's 18 provinces, including Basra, Karbala and Najaf, many participants complained of vote rigging and other irregularities in the way delegates were selected, accusing political parties of hijacking the process.
Participants drawn from various political movements, tribes and regions are to select a 100-member interim national council that will advise the government until elections are held in January.
Until then, the council will have powers to approve the 2005 budget, veto legislation with a two-thirds majority, question ministers and pick a new president or deputy president if one dies in office.