Iraqi Shia and Kurdish negotiators say they have agreed on a draft constitution after weeks of talks and are to present it to parliament regardless of whether the minority Sunnis agree.

A Shia negotiator said on Monday that a draft constitution would be presented shortly to parliament, but a key Sunni Arab delegate said talks of a deal were premature and he doubted an agreement was possible by the midnight deadline.

Sunni Arabs who oppose federalism were still objecting to the agreement, especially provisions for transforming Iraq into a federal state.

One of the top Sunni Arab negotiators, Saleh al-Mutlaq, said “There are still major points of disagreement".

"I don't think we will reach a solution for them in the next few hours. We are holding talks with the Kurdish brothers and the brothers in the [Shia] alliance and we haven't reached unanimity so far. The meetings are now taking place, and they claim that an agreement has been reached."

Shia and the Kurds have the votes to win parliamentary agreement without the Sunnis.

Even if the Shia and Kurds go ahead with the charter without the Sunnis, the minority group can torpedo the whole agreement if their community resoundingly rejects the constitution when it is submitted to a referendum in October.

That could undercut US hopes that the constitution would lure Sunnis away from violence.

It was not immediately clear if the main stumbling blocks towards agreeing the constitution, federalism, sharing of oil wealth, and the role of Islam - had been resolved or left for discussion at a later date.

Iraq missed an initial deadline last Monday but staved off the need for fresh elections by holding a last-minute parliamentary vote to extend the charter deadline until midnight on 22 August.

PHOTO CAPTION

Sunni Muslims pray outside the Al-Anbeiaa mosque in the Azamiyah district in Baghdad, in front of the posters reading ' Yes for constitution symbolize freedom, justice, independence and dignity', Monday, Aug. 22, 2005. (AP)