Officials of the Iraqi Governing Council and the US-led occupation coalition on Monday urged United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to send a team to assess the feasibility of holding direct elections for Iraq's transitional legislative assembly before July.  

After meeting for two hours behind closed doors with Iraqi officials and US and British envoys to Iraq, Annan said he needs more study of details before making decisions on such a mission.

"Both the Governing Council and the CPA (the coalition) representatives have expressed a strong wish that the UN should quickly send a technical mission to Iraq to advise on the feasibility of elections within the next few months and, if not, what alternatives might be possible," he said.

Annan said the issue now is "whether the technical, political or security conditions exist for general direct elections to take place as early as May this year."

"As regards a possible role between now and the end of June for the UN, we have agreed that further discussions should take place at the technical level, which would be focused on the most immediate electoral and security issues," he added.

The request for UN involvement in the power transfer process came as the process hit snag in recent weeks. Under a deal reached between the coalition and the Governing Council in November, a transitional legislature, picked through caucuses in Iraq's 18 provinces, would select a provisional government in June.

But Shiites, which make up some two-thirds of Iraq's population, have been opposed to the system of caucus for fears it could not guarantee their share of power. Iraq's most prominent Shiite leader, Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, has called for direct elections. And massive demonstrations have taken place in Baghdad and several other cities supporting his demand. 

Asked about his view on al-Sistani's demand, Annan said, "I don't believe there may be enough time between now and May to hold elections." But he said he would draw conclusions after studying report from the proposed technical team.

US top administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer, who led the coalition delegation, said, "We think that is a legitimate question and one where the UN with its expertise in elections can offer a perspective."

However, he avoided saying whether the United States would alter its power transfer formula if the UN team finds holding elections is feasible.  

Adnan Pachachi, president of the Iraqi Governing Council for January, said all agreed that the June 30 deadline for the transfer of power would be stuck to.

He said the Iraqi side and the coalition also urged Annan to appoint a new special representative for Iraq and return UN international staff to Iraq.

But Annan, for his part, did not say when UN staff would return to Iraq. He said a four-member UN team is currently in Baghdad to assess the security situation there.

Annan ordered the pullout of all UN international staff from Iraq in October after the UN office in Baghdad sustained two bombing attacks. The Aug. 19 attack killed more than 20 people, including former UN special representative Sergio de Mello.

Currently, the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq is operating in Cyprus and Jordan, under the direction of acting UN special representative Ross Mountain.

Annan said the coalition and the Governing Council offered to provide "full security" for the return of UN international personnel. But he said the scope for UN activities inside Iraq would continue to be "constrained" by the security situation for some time to come.

Later on Monday, the UN Security Council and the Governing Council delegation started private consultations at the request of the latter.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2004)