Iowa expert says Iraqi constitution won’t have a major impact

Efforts to complete a constitution for Iraq continue to drag on — but a University of Iowa law professor says it’s not something that most Iraqis are probably wringing their hands over. Adrien Wing is also an expert on drafting constitutions. She says in her opinion even when the constitution is done, it will not have a major impact because the country is still in a state of war. Wing says though she’s not discrediting the importance of creating the document. She says a constitution in an circumstance is a symbol, a set of principles the country is announcing to the world. She says it’s important to finish the constitution so the world knows where the country stands on the issue. Wing says regardless of what the constitution says, you still have to have the right people to implement the ideas contained in the document. She says if the leaders are not people of great principle or if they’re people who cannot act in a principled fashion because of fear or threats, then she says, “the constitution is a dead letter even in a peaceful period.” Wing has helped draft numerous constitutions, including those in South Africa, Rwanda and for the Palestinian Council.