HOLY NAJAF, Iraq: Iraq's president Jalal Talabani said that the “honorable Islamic religion will have the place it deserves in the constitution”.

Speaking at a press conference along with Head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq Sayyed Abdel Aziz Al-Hakim, he called for national unity and said a draft of the country's new constitution would be completed by next month's deadline.

Talabani made his comments shortly after talks with Ayatullah Sayyed Ali As-Sistani in the holy city, 160 kilometres south of Baghdad. Al-Hakim was also present at the meeting.

“Drafting the constitution, God-willing, will be done on schedule and I am confident about co-operation” between legislators to do the job, Talabani said.

“The constitution will be comprehensive and will include many of the ideas that we want and paid for with blood,” he said. “The honorable Islamic religion will have the place it deserves in the constitution.”

Meanwhile, Al-Hakim held separate meetings with other three Maraje of Holy Najaf namely Ayatullah Sheikh Ishaq Al-Fayyad, Ayatullah Sheikh Hafiz Bashir An-Najafi and Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Said Al-Hakim. The talks revolved around Iraq’s new constitution.

He also visited the shrine of his martyred brother Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Baqer Al-Hakim.