The Iraqi constitution was finally passed on Tuesday, but it was a narrow victory with more than two-thirds of voters in two of the 18 provinces against the document -- one province short of a veto.

Nevertheless, this milestone decision is a ray of hope that could lead to a new Iraq free of murderous insurgent guerrillas and fatal conflicts between different religious and ethnic groups.

The passage of the charter has paved the way for the election of a new parliament with full constitutional powers for four years, scheduled for December 15.

But the situation is still grim, with friction between different sectarian groups and ethnic minorities far from settled. The results of the referendum demonstrate this explicitly.

Shi'ites and Kurds, who make up 80 percent of the population, generally supported the document. Although the high turnout among Sunni Arabs is a marked change from last January, when many of them boycotted elections, they generally remain hostile to rule by the Shi'ites and Kurds.

Most Sunnis were persuaded to vote on the condition that there will be amendments to the constitution to help make their voices heard in the General Assembly. If their political expectations are not addressed, there is a danger that the situation will become a lot worse.

To ease resentment among the Sunnis, the government has promised there will be chances for changes.

But Sunni politician Saleh Mutlaq said the results of the vote could make the insurgency worse, if it persuades the Sunnis they have no part to play in the political process.

In addition, many tough questions remain to be answered -- particularly the division of oil resources and the rights to declare autonomy for ethnic groups. When these matters are raised, who knows what may happen?

The historic vote coincides with another milestone -- the US forces death toll in Iraq has reached 2,000. The latter was marked by a period of dignified silence and a warning from President George W. Bush of more casualties.

Strikingly, troops are dying at a higher rate -- a sign of the gains made by the insurgency. While it took 18 months to reach 1,000 deaths, it has taken a further 14 months to reach 2,000. More powerful and sophisticated explosive devices are a major factor behind the increase.

On the day of the referendum, 10 people were killed in bombings in the Kurdish stronghold of Sulaimaniyah in northern Iraq, and another four lost their lives in Baghdad. A day before the people went to the polls, a triple suicide car bomb offensive against hotels claimed at least 17 lives.

The deteriorating security situation does not indicate a turning point is just around the corner.

A survey in the UK-based Daily Telegraph newspaper indicated more than 80 percent of Iraqis are opposed to foreign forces remaining in Iraq, and most do not believe the presence of US and UK forces helped tighten security.

There is a mess of conflicts and confrontations before the constitutional parliament and new government of Iraq.

The passage of the charter marks a small step on the road to building a country of reconciliation and compromise.

(China Daily October 27, 2005)