Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=6/1/04

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=(CQ) IRAQ / INTERIM GOVERNMENT (L)

NUMBER=2-316372

BYLINE=ALISHA RYU

DATELINE=BAGHDAD

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

/// RE-ISSUING TO CORRECT SPELLING OF NEWLY NAMED PRESIDENT OF IRAQ'S INTERIM GOVERNMENT: GHAZI AJIL AL-YAWAR, STED GHAZI AJIL AL-YAWER AS ORIGINALLY SENT ///

INTRO: Iraqi Governing Council member Ghazi Ajil al-Yawar was chosen Tuesday to be the president of the country's interim government, which will be granted full sovereignty on June 30th. V-O-A Correspondent Alisha Ryu in Baghdad was at a ceremony to introduce the new interim Cabinet and has details.

TEXT: Enthusiastic applause from fellow members on the Governing Council greeted Ghazi Ajil al-Yawar as he was introduced as the Iraq's new interim president.

He is heard here through a translator, pledging to help pave the way for a peaceful Iraq as the interim government sets the way for elections early next year.

/// YAWAR / ENGLISH TRANSLATOR ACT ///

It is for a pluralistic, federal and a democratic Iraq that we work for, where everyone can enjoy the institutions and the freedoms given by a state without disunity.

/// END ACT ///

The appointment of Mr. Yawar as president Tuesday broke a political deadlock over the composition of the interim government.

The Sunni Muslim tribal leader had the backing of the U-S appointed Governing Council for the largely ceremonial post. But Iraq's chief American administrator, Paul Bremer, and the U-N special envoy to Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi, supported a rival Sunni Muslim on the council, Adnan Pachachi.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Pachachi told the media that he was offered the presidency but turned it down, mainly because he thought he would lose support of the Iraqi people if they believed he was being backed by the United States.

/// PACHACHI ACT IN ARABIC, ESTAB AND FADE UNDER ///

Mr. Pachachi says he believes the interim president should be a leader who can unite the country, not cause divisions. He says he felt he would cause more harm than good if he accepted the post.

With the deadlock resolved, the Governing Council agreed to disband immediately to allow the interim Cabinet to get to work, primarily in promoting economic development and preparing Iraq for national elections to be held no later than January 31st.

At the ceremony, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, a secular Shiite Governing Council member who was appointed last week, announced his 30-member Cabinet. The line-up includes a mix of Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds and Assyrians to reflect the country's diverse ethnic and religious make-up. Several Cabinet members are women.

Heard here through a translator, Mr. Allawi made clear that his government will not ask the U-S led multi-national military force to leave Iraq during the transition period. The Governing Council appointed the former opposition leader because he was thought to be the best person to deal with Iraq's deteriorating security situation.

/// ALLAWI / ENGLISH TRANSLATOR ACT ///

We like other people do not want to continue to be under occupation. At the same time, we look forward to working together actively against the threats of terrorism that is among us and we will need the partnership of the M-N-F (multi-national force) to defeat the enemies of Iraq who do not wish for stability.

/// END ACT ///

Shortly before the ceremony began, a car bomb exploded outside the offices of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, located near the coalition headquarters in central Baghdad, killing at least 10 people. Earlier in the day, another car bomb blew up near a U-S military base north of Baghdad, killing nearly a dozen people. (Signed)

NEB/AR/MAR/FC/KL