Iraq Council May not Exist past July

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031211/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_politics&cid=540&ncid=716

<snip>BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S.-appointed Governing Council will not be allowed to exist beyond July 1, when a provisional Iraqi government with full sovereign powers takes office, coalition officials said, despite the desires of most council members to keep it going.

But some council members have said that calls for the continuation of the council beyond July 1 were primarily voiced by members concerned about losing influence or upsetting their political prospects if they must contest elections.

An agreement signed Nov. 15 by the council and L. Paul Bremer, Iraq (news - web sites)'s chief U.S. administrator, clearly states that the council, installed in July to serve as an interim administration, will cease to exist after the provisional government was formed.

One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Nov. 15 agreement does not specify that there can't be a second chamber that will hold the "provisional government to account" even if it's not the Governing Council.

Under the agreement, the provisional government will give way to a democratically elected one in three steps: starting with a direct ballot in early 2005 for an assembly to draft a new constitution. Iraqis will vote twice more later that year to adopt the constitution in a referendum and to elect a democratic government.

The coalition officials said any new body created to oversee the process toward a democratically elected government would not have the same powers of the current Governing Council, seen by some Iraqis as a mere tool in the hands of the occupation authorities despite the relatively large leeway given it by Bremer in running the country.

[kayell]

1. "relatively large leeway given it by Bremer in running the country"

This is the same council that decided not to count Iraqi civilian casualties after being ordered not to by it's puppet masters isn't it?

[izzie]

2. And then we will just protect our corp. with force, tax money , and

our army. To hell with Iraq we will let it go. Bush never sticks to anything and why are we their any way? For the money, and the bases we can leave there.Bush and neo-cons want to control the Middle East so we need our corp and army left their.