Iyad Allawi

The U.S.-appointed Governing Council, a body that has been heavily criticized by Iraqis as unrepresentative, was dissolved with the naming of the government.

Ghazi al-Yawar

Al-Yawar's appointment to the largely ceremonial position at the head of the government, which will formally take over after the June 30 transfer of power, followed days of tumultuous talks between the council and the U.S.-led coalition.

In his first news conference, al-Yawar called for "full sovereignty" to be restored through a new U.N. resolution.

"We the Iraqis look forward to being granted full sovereignty through a Security Council resolution to enable us to rebuild a free, independent, democratic and federal, unified homeland," he said.

The Japan Times Weekly: June 5, 2004
(C) All rights reserved