Extracts from the draft constitution for Iraq

Article One

The Republic of Iraq is an independent state.

Article Two

The political system is republican, parliamentary, democratic and federal.

1. Islam is a main source for legislation.
a. No law may contradict Islamic standards.
b. No law may contradict democratic standards.
c. No law may contradict the essential rights and freedoms mentioned in this constitution.
2. This constitution guarantees the Islamic identity of the Iraqi people and guarantees all religious rights; all persons are free within their ideology and ideological practices.
3. Iraq is part of the Islamic world and the Arabs are part of the Arab nation.
4. Arabic and Kurdish are the two official languages and Iraqis have the right to teach their sons their mother language like the Turkomen and Assyrian in the government educational institutes.

Article Five

Power is transferred peacefully through democratic ways.

Article Seven

1. Any organisation that follow a racist, terrorist, extremist, sectarian-leaning ideology or circulates or justifies such beliefs is banned, especially Saddam's Ba'ath Party in Iraq and its symbols under any name.

2. The government is committed to fighting terrorism in all its forms, and works to protect Iraqi soil from being a centre or passage for terrorist activities.

Article 35

a. Human freedom and dignity are guaranteed.
b. No person can be detained or interrogated without a judicial order.
c. All kinds of physical and psychological torture and inhumane treatment are prohibited.

Article 36

The State guarantees:
1. Freedom of expression by all means.
2. Freedom of the press, printing, advertising and publishing.

Article 37

Freedom to establish political groups and organisations.

Article 39

Iraqis are free to abide in their personal lives according to their religion, sects, beliefs or choice. This should be organised by law.

Article 66

A presidential candidate should:
1. Be Iraqi by birth and the offspring of two Iraqi parents.
2. Be no less than 40-years-old.
3. Have a good reputation and political experience and be known as honest and faithful to the nation.

Article 75

The prime minister should have all the same qualifications and should have a university degree or its equivalent and should not be less than 35- years-old.

Article 107

Federal authorities should preserve Iraq's unity, security, independence and sovereignty and its democratic federal system.

Article 109

Oil and gas are the property of all the Iraqi people in regions and provinces.

Article 110

The central government administers oil and gas extracted from current wells, along with governments of the producing regions and provinces, on the condition that revenues are distributed in a way that suits population distribution around the country.

Article 135

This constitution guarantees the administrative, political, cultural and educational rights of different ethnic groups such as Turkomen, Chaldean, Assyrians and other groups.

Article 144

The Iraq Supreme Criminal Court continues its work as a legislative, independent commission to look into the crimes of the former dictatorial regime and its symbols, and the Council of Deputies has the right to annul it after it ends its duties.

Article 151

No less than 25 per cent of Council of Deputies seats go to women.