WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- The White House said Monday Afghanistan's release of the draft of the constitution marked an important milestone for the post-Taliban government.
Speaking in Birmingham, Ala., White house Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, "The public issuance of this very important draft, the product of consultation and dialogue among Afghans, marks an important milestone in Afghanistan's political development."
He said the Afghan people will have an opportunity to review it before it is ratified in December by that nation's Loya Jirga, or grand council.
The Washington Post says the new constitution calls for a strong presidential system and the elimination of the additional position of prime minister, which had initially been proposed by a constitutional advisory commission.
The draft appeared to be a major political victory for President Hamid Karzai, who hopes to win election next year to the post he now holds on a temporary basis.
The Post said the draft calls for a president and single vice president to be elected, with a separate two-house legislature and judiciary. It also states that "no law can be contrary to the sacred religion of Islam," but stops short of calling for the implementation of full Islamic law.
