Votes tallied: Iraqi charter passes (26/10/05)

Final vote counts released on Tuesday show that the Iraqi constitution won approval in a referendum on 15 October. Passage of the constitution marks a major step in the country's political evolution and means that parliamentary elections can take place in mid-December.

Farid Ayar believes the new charter will lead to true democracy

"It is a civilised step that aims to put Iraq on the path to true democracy," said Farid Ayar of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq.

The vote split sharply along sectarian lines. That raises concerns that Sunni Arab opponents will remain alienated.

Nationwide, 79 per cent of the 9.8 million voters approved the charter, the electoral commission reported.

However, two heavily Sunni provinces rejected the constitution by wide margins. In Anbar province, west of Baghdad, 97 per cent voted against the document. In Salah al-Din, north of the capital, 82 per cent rejected it.

The constitution establishes Iraq as a representative democracy. Islam is the official state religion, but full rights are guaranteed for minority religions.

Source: USA Today