Iraqis accept constitution
{{date|October 25, 2005}}
[[Image:Flag of Iraq.svg|thumb|right|Flag of Iraq]]
[[w:Iraq|Iraq]]i voters have accepted the draft constitution, the [[w:Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq|Independent Electoral Commission]]  announced Tuesday. 78% voted in favor, 21% against. Two, mostly [[w:Sunni|Sunni]], provinces rejected the constitution with a two-thirds majority; three rejections by provinces by two-thirds majorities would have caused the constitution to fail.

Voters in the provinces of Anbar and Salahuddin overwhelmingly opposed the draft, casting 97% and 82% "No" respectively. The deciding swing-province in the referendum was [[w:Nineveh|Nineveh]]. While 55% of the voters in the predominately Sunni province opposed the constitution, that was below the 66% threshold necessary to bring the draft to a halt.

[http://www.ieciraq.org/English/Frameset_english.htm Electoral Commission] official Farid Ayar called the vote "100% correct" and said that there were "no cases of fraud that could affect the results of the vote".

But the Sunni official Saleh al-Mutlaq said the referendum was a "farce" and accused the government of stealing ballot boxes in areas where most people voted "No".

Observers from the [[w:United Nations|United Nations]] dispute that statement. A senior official, Carina Perelli, said the result is "accurate" and that it was checked by her organisation.

The voting turnout was 9.85 million votes, or 63% of eligible voters. This was one million more votes than cast in the interim government election held in January.

Parliamentary elections are now scheduled for December 15, 2005.

==Other election news==
*{{Wikinews|title=Sunni leader says Iraq vote was a "farce"
|date=October 25, 2005}}

==Previous related news==
*{{Wikinews|title=Iraqi vote remains in doubt
|date=October 23, 2005}}

*{{Wikinews|title=Iraq ballots to be audited due to voting "anomalies"
|date=October 18, 2005}}

*{{Wikinews|title=Iraq counting ballots
|date=October 17, 2005}}

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,381568,00.html
|title=Irakische Verfassung ist angenommen
|author=
|pub=Der Spiegel
|date=October 25, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4374822.stm 
|title= Iraq voters back new constitution
|author=
|pub=BBC News
|date=October 25, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051025/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_referendum;_ylt=AlmqyG3t2hbl3F3XcgA7Ct6s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b3JuZGZhBHNlYwM3MjE-
|title=Draft Constitution Adopted by Iraqi Voters
|author=
|pub=Associated Press
|date=October 25, 2005}}
 
*{{source|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/12994794.htm
|title=Iraqis approve new constitution in a split vote
|author=Nancy A. Youssef 
|pub=Knight Ridder
|date=October 25, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/25/international/middleeast/25cnd-iraq.html?ex=1287892800&en=4e00737c0063f04c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
|title=Final Tally Shows Iraqi Voters Approved New Constitution
|author=Edward Wong
|pub=New York Times
|date=October 25, 2005}}

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[[Category:Iraq]]
[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Sunni Islam]]
[[Category:Constitution of Iraq]]

[[de:Irak: Verfassung mit Mehrheit angenommen]]
[[es:Iraq aprueba nueva Constitución]]
[[it:Iraq approvata la Costituzione 2005]]
[[ja:イラク、国民投票は憲法草案を承認]]
[[pt:Iraque aprova nova Constituição]]
Flag of Iraq
Iraqi voters have accepted the draft constitution, the Independent Electoral Commission  announced Tuesday. 78% voted in favor, 21% against. Two, mostly Sunni, provinces rejected the constitution with a two-thirds majority; three rejections by provinces by two-thirds majorities would have caused the constitution to fail.

Voters in the provinces of Anbar and Salahuddin overwhelmingly opposed the draft, casting 97% and 82% "No" respectively. The deciding swing-province in the referendum was Nineveh. While 55% of the voters in the predominately Sunni province opposed the constitution, that was below the 66% threshold necessary to bring the draft to a halt.

 Electoral Commission official Farid Ayar called the vote "100% correct" and said that there were "no cases of fraud that could affect the results of the vote".

But the Sunni official Saleh al-Mutlaq said the referendum was a "farce" and accused the government of stealing ballot boxes in areas where most people voted "No".

Observers from the United Nations dispute that statement. A senior official, Carina Perelli, said the result is "accurate" and that it was checked by her organisation.

The voting turnout was 9.85 million votes, or 63% of eligible voters. This was one million more votes than cast in the interim government election held in January.

Parliamentary elections are now scheduled for December 15, 2005.

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de:Irak: Verfassung mit Mehrheit angenommen
es:Iraq aprueba nueva Constitución
it:Iraq approvata la Costituzione 2005
ja:イラク、国民投票は憲法草案を承認
Iraque aprova nova Constituição
Iraq Middle East Politics and conflicts Sunni Islam Constitution of Iraq