Deadline Looms for New Iraqi Government

[maddezmom]

By JIM KRANE, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Just six weeks from the Bush administration's deadline to hand power to a nominally sovereign Iraqi government, the shape of that government is far from clear, with bitter infighting over its membership and powers.


Members of the U.S.-picked Iraqi Governing Council are clamoring to stay in power after their mandate expires. Other leaders are calling for a functioning parliament. Some want to quash influence of former members of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime. Still others are calling for open discussions in a nationwide congress.


~~snip~

As a United Nations (news - web sites) team readies for Monday's start of negotiations with Iraq (news - web sites)'s Governing Council, there appears to be agreement on little more than the structure of the government's executive branch: A prime minister will be the chief executive, assisted by a president and two vice presidents.


A list of candidates has emerged for those posts, which will oversee Iraq for a maximum of seven months, until elections slated for January.


The rest is still up in the air.

~snip~
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=1&u=/ap/20040514/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_emerging_government

Power struggle between Brahimi and Ahmad Chalabi...wonder how this will shake out.

[bemildred]

1. How will this work out?

I have this picture of Gandalf and the Balrog
falling down into the pit while duking it out
hammer and tongs as they fall.

On present evidence, it will be another giant
mess that will be declared "inoperative" at the
last minute and replaced with a new "plan", that
is provided the Iraqi people do not rise up en
masse and kick our ass back to Kuwait.

[maddezmom]

2. I've no earthly idea

but the I guess if they aren't happy with us, they'll just ask us to leave and we'll comply.