Shiite politicians who delayed the signing of Iraq's interim constitution said they will sign the document without any changes today, despite the reservations of the country's top Shiite cleric.

　　Five Shiite members of the Iraqi Governing Council met Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani at his home in the holy city of Najaf yesterday to discuss how to resolve the impasse over the constitution.

　　The five had refused to sign the constitution on Friday because of al-Sistani's objections - angering other members, some of whom saw the move as a Shiite attempt to grab more power. Sunni and Kurd council members refused to change the charter.

　　After the Najaf talks, it appeared the Shiites were backing down in their refusal.

　　"Sistani has reservations, but it will not constitute an obstacle," said Mohammed Hussein Bahr al-Ulloum, who helped coordinate the talks on behalf of his father, council president Mohammad Bahr al-Ulloum.

　　"It will be signed as it was agreed upon before by the Governing Council members," the son said.

　　The approval of an interim constitution is a key step in the US-backed plan to hand over power to the Iraqis on June 30. The document will remain in effect until the end of 2005 after a permanent charter is approved.

　　The Shiite politicians said they were optimistic the constitution will be signed today.

　　"The news is very good and we are going to sign it on Monday," council member Mouwafak al-Rubaie said yesterday. "We are glad that the grand ayatollah understood our position."

　　Elsewhere, in the northern city of Mosul, insurgents in a passing car fired rocket-propelled grenades at a police station yesterday, police and witnesses said. Two Iraqi civilians died and two police officers were injured.

　　In the southern city of Mahmoudiya, assailants on Saturday night shot and injured a policeman who works as a liaison with American troops, police said. The attackers fled.

　　(The Associated Press)