Iraq Shias Demand Autonomy

Iraq's Shia Muslims should have their own autonomous region across the south of the country, a leading Shia spokesman said today.

Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCRI), made his demands at a rally in the Shia holy city of Najaf just four days before Iraq's leaders are due to present a draft constitution.

Iraq's Kurdish population already have their own autonomous region in the north of the country.

"We think it necessary to form one whole region in the south," said Mr Hakim. The Shia population make up nearly half of Iraq's 26 million people.

But Mr Hakim's demands were dismissed by minority Sunni Muslims and secular opponents, as well as rival Shias, in the national coalition government.

There are concerns about sectarian fights over the control of oil in the south of the country, coupled with fears that the area could fall under Iranian-style religious rule if it became an autonomous Shia region.

Iraq's leaders have promised to deliver a draft constitution on Monday, but the question of federalism and demands for autonomy from both the Shias and the Kurds have delayed negotiations.

The country's Sunni community have also expressed concerns that they will be left with an area in the centre of Iraq that does not produce oil.

"If we can deal with that ... we should finish in the next few days so the draft will be ready on time," said Bahaa al-Araji, a senior Shia on the constitution drafting panel. "If there were Shia and Sunni regions it would simply entrench sectarianism and destroy the unity of Iraq," he said.

Mr Hakim's demands were echoed at the rally by Hadi al-Amery, leader of the Badr movement - the military section of SCRI.

"[The government] are trying to prevent the Shias from enjoying their own federalism," Mr Amery said. "What have we got from the central government but death?"

Rival Shia leaders said they were not willing to accept Mr Hakim's proposals.

"The idea of a Shia region ... is unacceptable to us," said Laith Kubba, a spokesman for the prime minister, Ibrahim Jaafari, a Muslim from the rival Shia party, Dawa. "It's a bad idea," he told Reuters.

"We hoped this day would never come," said Saleh al-Mutlak, a leading Sunni politician. "We believe that the Arabs, whether Sunni or Shia, are one. We totally reject any attempt to stir up sectarian issues to divide Iraq."

The UN security council voted unanimously today to extend the UN mission in Iraq.

The resolution, sponsored by the United States, calls on the UN to help the Iraqi people and government to develop their own institutions for representative government.

Earlier this month, UN secretary general Kofi Annan sent a letter to the council recommending a 12-month extension of the mission, which is due to expire tomorrow.