Sadrist says troop pact readings “unconstitutional”

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A spokesperson for the Sadrist bloc on Sunday described the first and second readings of the troop withdrawal pact with the United States as “unconstitutional,” threatening to contest the outcome of the vote. “The first and second readings are unconstitutional and null and void. We have informed the Presidential Board of that,” Ahmed al-Masoudi told IraqiNews.com. The Sadrist bloc holds 29 seats in the 275-member Parliament. The Iraqi cabinet has endorsed a controversial security pact, also known as the status-of-forces agreement (SOFA), by an overwhelming majority of 27 votes to 1. The Iraqi and U.S. sides have been negotiating a long-term security deal throughout the past months. The pact should determine the legal framework for U.S. troop presence when a UN mandate expires at the end of 2008. SS (P)/SR 1