Sunni Arab constitution writers said on Thursday they would accept federalism on three conditions despite worries that federalism might result in split of Iraq.

The federalism must be approved by two-thirds of voters and two-thirds of provincial council members in each province and two-thirds of the National Assembly (parliament) members," Saleh al-Mutlak, a spokesman of the Sunni National Dialogue Council, told reporters.

The Sunni Arabs, a ruling minority under ousted president Saddam Hussein, oppose to the federalism that both the Kurds and the Shiites which swept to power after January's parliamentary elections are seeking to put in the constitution.

Parliament gave the drafting committee members an extra week to settle their differences over the permanent constitution by Aug. 22after they failed to meet the Aug. 15 deadline to submit the draft charter.

(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2005)