BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's interim Governing Council said Saturday a transitional sovereign government would be in place by next June and an elected government would follow by the end of 2005 after the drafting of a constitution.The Governing Council unveiled the new timetable after the United States gave up its earlier insistence that a constitution be drafted and ratified before a sovereign government could take over from the U.S.-British occupying powers.
Jalal Talabani, the council's current chairman, said the transition would involve "the creation of a permanent constitution by an elected council, directly elected by the people, and also the election of a new government according to the articles of this new constitution before the end of 2005."
In the meantime, a transitional council will be selected by May next year, which will pick the transitional government by the end of June, he said.
"At its assumption of power, the state of occupation would end," he added.
U.S. officials have made clear that while Iraq would no longer legally be under a state of occupation, a sizeable number of U.S. and other foreign troops would remain in the country.
