Constitutions

The parliament of Kyrgyzstan approved a new constitution Wednesday that sharply reduces the powers of the president, in what his critics called the second step of a democratic revolution in the former Soviet state. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev agreed to the document during a day of tense negotiations and was expected to sign it today. He has been under pressure from seven days of anti-government street protests and a shift to the opposition by growing numbers of lawmakers.

An influential, hard-line Sunni Arab group declared Tuesday that it would not help draft Iraq's constitution or participate in the new government without a fixed timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces. The proclamation by the Muslim Scholars Assn. is an indication of the minefields that lie ahead as Shiite Arab and Kurdish coalitions triumphant in last month's landmark election seek to bring disaffected Sunni Arabs into the political process.

Stars from the Spanish rock scene, the soccer field and even outer space peer from television sets with messages aimed at stirring Spain's civic spirit. Thousands of cans of a fizzy energy drink called Referendum Plus are being distributed for free, decorated with refrains telling voters to vote yes, vote no -- just vote.

Spanish voters endorsed the European Union constitution in a nonbinding referendum Sunday designed to gauge public support before lawmakers vote on final approval. About 77% of voters backed the constitution and 17.3% opposed it, official results showed. Turnout was about 42%, the lowest since democracy was restored to the country three decades ago. All 25 EU countries must ratify the constitution for it to take effect.

Burundians voted overwhelmingly to adopt a power-sharing constitution guaranteeing majority rule and minority rights in the Central African country, officials said. Paul Ngarambe, electoral commission chief, said 90% of voters turned out Monday and more than 91% of them approved the new constitution, which reserves 60% of government and parliament seats for Hutus and 40% for Tutsis.

Bhutan's king is circulating a draft constitution aimed at establishing a democracy that would end almost 100 years of monarchical rule, the editor of a state-run newspaper said. The constitution would provide for two houses of parliament -- a 75-member National Assembly and a 25-member National Council. King Jigme Singye Wangchuck would become head of state, but parliament could impeach him by a two-thirds vote, said Kinley Dorji, editor of the Kuensel newspaper.

Lawmakers voted Tuesday to change the constitution to allow Egypt's first competitive presidential election, but they imposed complex rules that critics say will keep power squarely in the hands of President Hosni Mubarak and his ruling party. The restrictions disappointed pro-democracy advocates who had hoped lawmakers would make good on Mubarak's promise to hold a free and fair vote this fall.

In an attempt to avert a resounding French rejection of a proposed European constitution, President Jacques Chirac told voters Thursday that they have a "historic responsibility" to approve the proposal. Chirac's prime-time speech marked the official end of the campaign ahead of Sunday's referendum and reflected the measure's high stakes and darkening prospects.

French voters rejected a proposed European Union constitution Sunday, igniting a political crisis in the alliance and dealing a sharp blow to French President Jacques Chirac. With nearly all ballots counted, the Interior Ministry reported that 55.5% of voters had rejected the constitution and 44.5% had approved it. Although the defeat had been predicted in recent polls, the result was nonetheless remarkable.

Britain's plan to hold a referendum on the proposed European Union constitution looked in doubt Tuesday, as Europeans sought to come to grips with French voters' rejection of the blueprint to further integrate the continent. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the French "no" on Sunday posed a profound question about the future of Europe, and he hinted strongly that his government's plan for a referendum would be put on hold to allow a "period of reflection."