Iraq Legislators Set Up Panel to Draft a Constitution

By John F. Burns

BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 10 - Members of Iraq's transitional national assembly named a 55-member committee on Tuesday to draft the country's permanent constitution, opening what promises to be one of the most contentious passages yet in the effort to build an Iraqi democracy.

With the committee established, the stage was set for a struggle over the nature of the future Iraqi state. A key issue will be the role of Islam and whether it will be politically decisive - as favored by many of the Shiite legislators who will have a slim majority - or marginalized in a secular system.