Chalabi not keen on UN role

2004-05-25 20:21

Baghdad - Iraqi Governing Council member Ahmed Chalabi, who has recently fallen out with the US-led coalition, said on Tuesday a UN role in shaping a sovereign Iraqi government after June 30 would be "dangerous".

"The envoy of the UN secretary general is organising a national conference to choose a consultative council. This is a dangerous idea that provokes instability," an emotional Chalabi told reporters here.

"Iraq is not Afghanistan and we do not need a Loya Jirga" he said, referring to the tribal assembly that shaped the Afghan government after the end of the US-led war to oust the Taliban regime.

He said replacing "the coalition's occupation in Iraq with a UN mandate will not give Iraqis a stake in their country."

UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is in Baghdad working with the US-appointed Governing Council to form an interim government that will be tasked with ruling Iraq from July 1 until elections are held next January.

He previously proposed holding a national conference in early July to discuss the future of Iraq and to elect a consultative council that will advise the caretaker government.

Governing Council president Ghazi al-Yawar said on Tuesday the interim government would be formed "hopefully in a week's time."

The United States and Britain submitted a draft UN Security Council resolution on Monday that would formalise the handover of sovereignty.

- AFP