31 August 2005 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo today congratulated the people of Iraq for completing the process of drafting its constitution.

“This is a victory for peace and democracy in Iraq.  The Iraqi people are to be congratulated for this important step towards building a peaceful, just, pluralistic and stable society,” the Secretary said.

The Secretary also said that the Philippine government understands the concerns of some sectors of Iraqi society as well as the concerns of other countries in the region over certain aspects of the draft Iraqi constitution.  “We understand these concerns and see them as reflecting the sincere desire of everyone in the region for a truly secure and stable Iraq, at peace with itself and its neighbors,” the Secretary said.

He added that these concerns form part of the “significant challenges that still face the people of Iraq and that the Philippines supports the importance of ensuring the right of all members of Iraq’s communities to participate in the country’s political process.”

The Secretary said that the drafting of the Iraqi constitution was made under “a most difficult and challenging situation,” and expressed the hope that the 15 October 2005 referendum will be generally peaceful.

The Secretary recalled that during the Philippine presidency of the Security Council last year, the Philippines presided over the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1546 – which calls on all United Nations members to work together to build a secure, a stable, and progressive Iraq.  The Security Council approved this resolution unanimously.

“We build upon this resolution this August when the Security Council adopted Resolution 1618, which reinforces Resolution 1546 and provides robust support for the constitutional drafting process and its referendum,” the Secretary said.  END