Baghdad: Iraqi Opposition leader Ahmad Chalabi, in his first public appearance in
Baghdad, on April 18 said that he expects an Iraqi interim authority to take over
most government functions from the US military in "a matter of weeks rather than
months".
But Chalabi, head of the Iraqi National Congress, was vague on the specifics of the
immediate process to select such an interim government.
He reiterated that he is not a candidate to be the leader of Iraq, and did not
indicate to reporters at a news conference that he favoured any individual for the
leadership.
US officials have said the process will include a series of meetings by
representatives of different Iraqi groups, the first of which took place on April 15
in the ruins of the ancient Sumerian city of Ur in Southern Iraq.
Chalabi said that once such an authority is established, the US military will have
three functions here - to eradicate any weapons of mass destruction, to dismantle
the ousted regime's "apparatus of terror", and to disarm the previous regime's
Army.
Discussing the immediate future, Chalabi said he foresaw "first reconstruction of
basic services, done by Jay Garner", the retired American General designated to run
the military administration. "I expect this stage to take a few weeks."
After that, he said, "An Iraqi interim authority will be chosen by Iraqis and take
over the business of governing."
"Then, a proposed Constitution will be debated by a constituent Assembly and then
voted on in a general referendum and be the basis for general elections," Chalabi
said.
