US: No delay in plans to hand over sovereignty to provisional Iraqi government
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L. Paul Bremer, the most senior American official in Iraq, told reporters Thursday that a United Nations team will arrive in Baghdad "in coming days" to make recommendations to help end the deadlock over plans to hand over sovereignty to a provisional Iraqi government on June 30.
A European diplomat who is following the election issue said the UN team will arrive on Friday and stay in Iraq for about 10 days.
Iraq's influential Shiite Muslim clergy wants a directly elected government rather than an administration chosen indirectly through a system of caucuses, as envisaged by Washington.
"The coalition will cooperate in any way the United Nations wants," Bremer told reporters, according to The AP.
He said although the plan to hand over power on June 30 remains unchanged, the United States is "prepared to consider refinements or elaborations" on a Nov. 15 agreement to hold caucuses.
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
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