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U.N.
Envoy to Iraq Outlines Plan for June 30 Handover |
Posted:04.28.04
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The man the U.S. government has largely turned to to plan the
turnover of power in Iraq to Iraqis by June 30, has said that
despite recent violence in parts of the country the deadline for
handing over sovereignty, or control of the government, would
stick.
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U.N. envoy to Iraq Lakhdar Brahimi laid out his plan for creating
 a
temporary government to the United Nations Security Council Tuesday.
Under the plans, this temporary, appointed administration will
set up elections in early 2005 to create a permanent government.
"Though it will certainly not be easy, we do believe that
it shall be possible to identify by the end of May a group of
people respected and acceptable to Iraqis across the country,
to form this caretaker government," Brahimi said.
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Calls for
a June 30 handover |
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Since the onset of the latest fighting in Iraq that has made
April the deadliest month for U.S. soldiers since the war started,
some American lawmakers have questioned whether the president's
stated deadline of June 30 can hold.
An uprising by radical Shiites in the city of Najaf opposed to
the U.S.-led occupation in Iraq and battles between coalition
forces and anti-American militants in Fallujah has seriously undermined
efforts by the United States to establish a stable environment
in which to usher in democracy.
"The time frame is very small to disarm the militia, to
bring about a security situation in which the governing council,
the 24 Iraqis or however many others they appoint, can govern
the country," said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman
Richard Lugar, R-Ind.
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Plans for
the new government |
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Despite these concerns, Brahimi said he still thought the process
could move forward.
Brahimi's plan calls for a "caretaker" government that
would take control of Iraq on July 1, 2004. A prime minister would
lead the government made up of "Iraqi men and women known
for their honesty, integrity and competence," according to
Brahimi. A president would serve as head of state in the country
and would be aided by two vice presidents.
 In
addition to the executive branch, Brahimi would convene a National
Conference to promote "national dialogue, consensus building
and national reconciliation," he said. The National Conference
would elect an assembly to serve as an advisory body to the government.
As part of the U.S.-approved plan, the current Iraqi Governing
Council would be dissolved. In a press conference in Baghdad earlier
in April, Brahimi stressed many of the members of this council,
which the United States created and selected members for, may
be called on for other positions in the new government.
The plan would also call for U.S. troops to remain in Iraq after
June 30 to oversee security, an aspect of the plan that has led
to questions about how much control the new Iraqi leadership actually
will have.
 The
man President Bush wants to represent the United States after
the turnover on June 30, current U.N. Ambassador John Negroponte,
told the Senate Tuesday that the U.S. military would maintain
command but that the interim Iraqi leadership would be responsible
for administrative duties like foreign policy and running the
government.
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Limits to
the new government's power |
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During his presentation, Brahimi has also confirmed the presence
of a U.N. electoral team working in Baghdad to help plan for elections
in January 2005.
Until those elections occur, any Iraqi government's power will
be limited by law and by several key figures.
 Under
the so-called transitional law adopted earlier this year, the
temporary government does not have the power to change or make
new laws. Also, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a leading Shiite cleric
in Iraq and a favorite among the country's most populous religious
group, has demanded that the government not be granted real powers
since it will be appointed by the United Nations and not elected
by the people.
Earlier in the year, U.S. officials resisted calls by al-Sistani
to hold direct elections within the next few months. The leading
Shiite cleric has said such a vote is critical. Many observers
see the call as an attempt to ensure that Shiite leaders, who
represent the majority of Iraq's population, hold more power in
the new government.
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The next
two months |
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The next step in the process for securing the June 30 handover
is for the United States to convince member nations of the U.N.
Security Council to approve plans for a new Iraqi government that
shares power with U.S. troops. A resolution is expected in May.
In the meantime, Brahimi will begin searching for the members
of the new government and continue talking with key figures in
Iraq about how to ease the transition.
The United States must also begin planning for the establishment
and protection of its first embassy in Iraq. It would house an
ambassador and up to 3,000 employees.
--
Kristina Nwazota, Online NewsHour
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