Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari has said that almost all issues troubling the draft constitution are resolved, but Sunni Arabs warn it is divisive and will be rejected when put to a vote.

"We have agreed on 151 of the 153 articles in the constitution, including the federal status of the government and the status of regions and provinces," Jaafari told a news conference on Tuesday. 

He said issues concerning human rights, including women's rights, have been agreed upon.

"We have made an important stride," the Shia prime minister said. 

In a nail-biting drama, parliament on Monday received only an incomplete draft of the country's first post-Saddam constitution submitted under intense US pressure but without the approval of the Sunni Arab minority.

The charter's writers beat a midnight deadline by a few minutes to present the constitution that will shape the future of 27 million war-battered Iraqis and could pave the way for a withdrawal of foreign troops.

But the Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni political organisation, said on Tuesday that its representatives had not had a chance to read the final draft before it was presented to the legislature.

"The party condemns this matter and considers it as a violation to the principle of accord on which the party has agreed to participate in the discussion regarding the constitution."

Several issues remained unresolved, including the mechanism for implementing federalism, the treatment of former Saddam government officials, and how to divide authority among the presidency, parliament and government.

Negotiations will take place over the next three days especially with Sunnis to bridge remaining differences over the text, which must be approved in an October referendum.

Under stiff US pressure, the Shia and Kurds apparently reached a compromise on issues including the political structure of Iraq and the relationship between religion and state.

Sunnis concern

But the Sunnis, the former elite under Saddam whose support is seen as vital in ending the raging insurgency, remained unmoved and warned on Tuesday that the charter in its current form would divide the country.

"The draft is divisive. It will divide the society as there are many negatives in it," Sunni negotiator Saleh al-Motlag said.

"Ninety-nine percent of Sunnis are unhappy with it. It will fail during the referendum."

Sunnis oppose federalism, fearing a decentralised government will cut their share of the nation's vast oil reserves, concentrated in the Kurdish north and Shia south.

The charter in Article 109 stipulates "the oil and gas of all the regions belong to the entirety of the Iraqi people", adding that the management of the resources should be with the central government in Baghdad and with the oil-producing regions. 

"The revenues should be equitably distributed throughout the country according to the population size (of each region)," states the article.

Sunnis are rejecting the clause but are politically weak, holding few seats in parliament after largely boycotting the January elections.

Shia opposition

Iraq's Shia-led government on Tuesday ruled out any major change to a draft constitution that parliament looks set to pass this week in the teeth of minority Sunni objections that it could ignite civil war.    

"The draft that was submitted is approximately the draft that will be implemented," government spokesman Laith Kubba said after parliament received the text before a midnight deadline.

The Shia head of the parliamentary drafting committee again made clear he did not intend to reopen contentious clauses such as those on autonomous "federal" regions that Arab Sunnis say discriminate against them and could break up the state. 

Humam Hammudi rejected these concerns, saying Sunni negotiators did not necessarily reflect the wishes of the minority.

He also outlined his backing for a decentralised structure for Iraq. 

"If (the government) had a say in every matter it would become a new dictatorship," he said. "The ruler would become a dictator with the available pool of oil wealth."

Hammudi also said that three days were not enough to win over the Sunni Arabs, and the document they rejected may ultimately have to be approved by parliament as is and submitted to the people in a referendum.

Asked how to break the impasse, Hammudi said "the Iraqi people will rule" and suggested that the elected parliament could debate the issues and take a decision.

Kurds stance

But Kurds also expressed some discontent with the compromise text. "The document will be divisive as every Sunni is against it, Kurds are lukewarm in their response, while only the Shia may have something to take home," said one Kurdish source close to negotiations.

The United States had pressed the Kurds to climb down on two key demands, self-determination and inclusion of oil-rich Kirkuk in their autonomous northern region, as well as softening its stand on the role of Islam.

President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, said the draft was widely agreed upon.

"The big majority of it has been agreed but three articles remain," Talabani said.

"Now we will give a chance to members of the national assembly to look at it and I hope within three days these problems will be solved."

Risks

Approving the draft and submitting it to voters in an 15 October referendum risks a backlash among Sunni Arabs.

The 15 Sunni members of the drafting committee issued a statement saying they had rejected the proposal because the government and the committee did not abide by an agreement for consensus.

They said agreement on the document was still far off.

If no compromise can be reached on the Sunni demands, "we will turn it to the Iraqi people to say yes or no," Hammudi said.

Sunni leaders have threatened to order their followers to vote "no" in the October referendum on the constitution unless their objections are addressed

PHOTO CAPTION

Sunni Muslims pray in the Abu Hanifa mosque in the Azamiyah district in Baghdad, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005. (AP)