Iraqi governing council chooses leader

Iraq's US-backed governing council named a Shi'ite politician as its first leader yesterday, after adopting a rotating presidency which will give representatives of all major groups a turn at being in charge.

Ibrahim Jaafari, a medical doctor who is the spokesman of the Shi'ite Da'wa party, was chosen as the first president of the self-rule body.

After more than two weeks of laborious discussion, the Governing Council of 25 Iraqis decided on Tuesday that nine of its members - drawn from various religious, ethnic and political factions - would take turns at being president.

Each will serve for a month. Jaafari will be followed by Iraqi national congress head Ahmed Chalabi.

Others who will get a turn at leading the council are Abdul Aziz al-Hakim of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI); Kurdish leaders Jalal Talabani and Masoud Barzani; Iyad Allawi of the Iraqi National Accord; Muhsin Abdul Hameed of the Iraqi Islamic Party; Shi'ite scholar Muhammed Bahr al-Uloum, and former Foreign Minister Adnan Pachachi.

"The principle of a monthly rotating presidency was adopted to give a chance to the nine members," Jaafari told Reuters. "It will end, God willing, as soon as possible when the occupation ends and Iraq achieves political independence."

One of the council's tasks is to select ministers to work alongside US officials.

"We will start discussing ministers next week and we hope it will not take a long time to resolve," Jaafari said.

Members of the council have insisted the choice of a rotating president and the delay in reaching a decision are not signs that the council is divided.