9.2 | 23
May 2003 to June 2004
1079.
On 7 June,
Mr Brahimi briefed the Security Council that:
“… after a
long, complicated and delicate process under less than
optimal
conditions,
Iraq had two institutions essential for the next phase – an
Interim
Government
and a National Independent Electoral Commission.”618
1080.
Mr Brahimi
described the process of forming the Interim Government
as
“imperfect
and ambiguous” but that the result had been a “capable and
reasonably
balanced”
group ready to take power on 30 June. The challenges they faced
were
considerable,
and would take “years, not months, to overcome”.
1081.
Mr Brahimi
reported that his team had consulted widely on how to select
the
Interim
Government. They had resolved on a process by which a forum made up
of the
past,
present and future Presidents of the GC, working together with the
CPA and the
UN, decided
on the criteria for determining who would be selected. Following
further
wide
consultation, a consensus emerged that Dr Ayad Allawi should be
Prime Minister;
and that a
three-person Presidency Council should be formed, supported by a
Council of
Ministers,
largely made up of technocrats.
1082.
The day after
Mr Brahimi’s briefing, the Security Council
adopted
resolution
1546 (2004).
1083.
The main issue
during its negotiation had been the description of
post-transition
security
arrangements.619
1084.
Resolution
1546 welcomed the beginning of a new phase in Iraq’s transition to
a
democratically
elected government, and looked forward to the end of the occupation
by
1085.
The key parts
of resolution 1546 were that the Security Council:
•
endorsed
the formation of a sovereign Interim Government of Iraq (IGI)
which
would take
full responsibility for governing Iraq, whilst not taking
actions
“affecting
Iraq’s destiny beyond the interim period”;
•
welcomed
the end of the Occupation;
•
endorsed
the proposed timetable for Iraq’s political transition to
democratic
government,
including the formation of the IGI, and the holding of
direct
democratic
elections by no later than 31 January 2005;
•
defined a
number of roles for the Special Representative to the
Secretary-
General and
the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq including
preparing
Iraq for
elections, drafting a permanent Constitution, advising the
Government
618
UN Press
Release, 7 June 2004, ‘Lakhdar Brahimi Briefs Security Council on
“Complicated and
Delicate”
Process Leading to Iraq’s Interim Government, Electoral Commission’
(SC/8113).
619
Telegram
523 UKMIS New York to FCO London, 8 June 2004, ‘Iraq Resolution:
Text in Blue’ attaching
two
papers.
620
UN Security
Council resolution 1546 (2004).
385