BAGHDAD -- The chaotic breakdown of a key Iraqi parliament meeting raised fears of a delay in drawing up a permanent constitution because of the failure of Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis to agree on a government.

The circus-like debacle brought to the surface the power struggle among the Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis that has dragged on in closed-door negotiations since the watershed election that saw millions vote despite security fears. The failure of politicians to put aside their differences in the face of a deadly insurgency and a war-shattered economy has stirred anger on the streets and elicited warnings that parliament risks losing its legitimacy.

As the political players squandered momentum generated by Iraq's January 30 elections, violence raged as six civilians, including an elderly woman and a child, died in a firefight between rebels and US soldiers in Mosul.

Iraq's ethnic and religious groups were huddled in meetings as they attempted to resuscitate a political process that has been dogged by infighting two months after the country's first free vote in 50 years.

Unable to decide on a cabinet or parliament speaker, questions abounded whether the country's volatile communal mix could write a permanent legal charter by mid-August, the deadline set in the interim constitution (TAL).

"There are certain groups that want to see the TAL as the basis of the new constitution. If that is agreed upon it will make our job much easier to finish it by August. But probably we'll see some big differences," said Sunni MP Hajem al-Hassani.

He feared key national identity issues that could barely be settled now would rear their head again over the spring and summer.

"State and religion will definitely come up again, federalism will come up again, some of the touchy issues will crop up. Personally I think we'll see an extension."

The TAL calls for the permanent constitution to be completed by mid-August and put to a national referendum in October, but allows an extra half-year for drafting the document if the sides cannot reach agreement.

Despite MPs being eager to present a united face to the public, Tuesday's parliament session ended instead in catcalls and bitter divisions over the failure to choose a parliament speaker.

As prominent figures including Prime Minister Iyad Allawi bolted from the proceedings and the media was ejected, parliament adjourned the session -- only the second since the January 30 election -- until Sunday.

The circus-like debacle brought to the surface the power struggle among the Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis that has dragged on in closed-door negotiations since the watershed election that saw millions vote despite security fears.

The failure of politicians to put aside their differences in the face of a deadly insurgency and a war-shattered economy has stirred anger on the streets and elicited warnings that parliament risks losing its legitimacy.

For weeks, the election-winning Shiite United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), with 146 of the 275 parliament seats, and the second-place Kurdistan Alliance have haggled over posts.

Iraq's long-oppressed Kurdish minority, benefiting from the need for a two-thirds majority to approve a presidency council and prime minister, has shut down the proceeding as it seeks the maximum concessions from the UIA.

The battle for power between Shiites and Kurds has left the vastly under-represented Sunnis, with only 16 seats, feeling shunted to the side.

The Shiites and Kurds had agreed to award the post of speaker to one of the 16 Sunni Arabs MPs in a bid to reach out to the community, which largely boycotted the election due to anger over the US presence in Iraq as well as the threat of violence.

A group of 32 Sunni parties have now organized a bloc called the National Front in an attempt to amplify their voice. It includes the Islamic Party, which boycotted the elections, and political insiders such as president Ghazi Yawar and nationalist Adnan Pachachi, who has no parliamentary seat.

Even hardline Islamist groups like the Sunni Muslim Waqf (religious endowment) and the Committee of Muslim Scholars, with rumored links to the insurgency, are participating.

But complicating the reintegration is the refusal by the Shiites to allow ex-Baathists, who quit the party after the 1991 Shiite and Kurdish uprisings to serve in senior government posts.

That reluctance contributed to Tuesday's meltdown when the Shiites said they would not accept some of the candidates put forward for parliament speaker, particularly candidates from Allawi's Iraqi list.

"The nominee has to be one of the elected parliament members and those number are few and some of them are ex-Baathists or ex-members of Saddam's parliament," parliament member Hussein Shahrastani told AFP.

"We are not indulging in names now. (But) They all come from the (Allawi) Iraqi list. There are a number of ex-Baathists on that list. That's not acceptable to the alliance."

On the ground, six civilians, including an elderly woman and child, died in Mosul when insurgents opened fire on US soldiers, medical sources said.

Four of the dead were trapped in a burning car. At least seven others died in attacks Wednesday.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Iraq's ascendant Shiite majority descended on the pilgrimage city of Karbala under high security for their major festival of Arbaeen, commemorating the death of Imam Hussein 14 centuries ago.

Copyright © 2005 Agence France Presse

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