Monday, August 8 2005 10:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Baghdad: At least 39 people were killed in attacks across the country yesterday (Aug 7, 2005) as Iraq's President announced a series of meetings of political leaders to negotiate issues holding up completion of the new constitution.

Legislators have vowed to have the country's post-Saddam Hussein constitution ready by August 15, despite at least 18 unresolved issues including the country's official name, the role of Islam, a definition of federalism and the future of oil-rich Kirkuk.

The goal of the meetings is to 'deploy the necessary efforts to reach a consensus,' President Jalal Talabani told reporters yesterday, as leaders arrived for the meeting at his Baghdad residence.

A second meeting bringing in figures from outside Parliament was set for today (Aug 8, 2005), Talabani said.

"We cannot reach solutions for all the outstanding issues yesterday night, but we will continue the meetings until a complete resolution is met," he said.

Personalities at the meeting include a leader of the conservative Shiite Arab majority in parliament, Abdel Aziz Hakim, and Sunni Vice President Ghazi Al-Yawar.

Hakim said in an interview with state-owned Iraqi television ahead of the meeting that he was optimistic differences would be resolved.

"There are some points of disagreement and we still have some talking to do, but I am optimistic at the possibility of a consensus," Hakim said.

His statements came after Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari also from the Shiite majority met Friday with Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, and reported that the revered spiritual leader was willing to accept a federal Iraq.

Seven Iraqi soldiers were killied and seventeen wounded

In violence across the country seven Iraqi soldiers were killed and 17 wounded when a suicide bomber blew up a truck loaded with explosives at the entrance to an Iraqi army base in central Tikrit, 180 kilometers north of Baghdad, an Iraqi army officer said.

Three other Iraqi soldiers were killed when gunmen attacked their patrol in south Baghdad, while two other people working in the oil ministry were shot dead in southeast Baghdad.

In Samawa, a Shiite town 270 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, at least one civilian was killed and 44 wounded as protesters demanding jobs and public services clashed with police.

Twenty-seven other people were killed in further attacks around the country.

Despite the violence, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in an interview with Time magazine released yesterday that the insurgency in Iraq is 'losing steam' while 'rather quiet political progress' remains on track.