Iraq council for provisional government
The president of Iraq’s US-appointed Governing Council urged for a provisional government to be installed as soon as possible.
“I think it is very reasonable and necessary to have a provisional government before having a constitution,” said Jalal Talabani, who holds the rotating presidency of the 25-member council, on Wednesday.
He said he did not know if Iraq’s US administrator Paul Bremer, summoned to Washington on Monday for consultations, agreed with the idea.
Previously the United States had called for a constitution to be drafted and approved by referendum before elections leading to a fully sovereign Iraqi government.
Talabani said he would like to see a provisional government “tomorrow” or as soon as discussions among council members and with the US-led occupying administration could be completed.
He said the occupying powers now accepted it would take time to complete a constitution, conduct a census and hold elections.
But he voiced confidence that the Governing Council would submit a timetable by 15 December for the political transition, as requested by the United Nations Security Council.