Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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BY NICK WADHAMS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS UNITED NATIONS - U.N Secretary-General Kofi Annan is likely to approve within days sending election experts to Iraq tc study whether the country could have quick, direct elections for a transitional government, U.N diplomats told The Associated # Press Tuesday. The team — which the U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi leaders sough) from Annan in a meeting Monday — would head to Iraq soon after the decision is made, the diplomats said on condition of anonymity. Iraqi leaders and the Coalitior Provisional Authority want the U.N. team to assess whether it is possible to hold elections for a tran sitional legislature set to take pow er by June 30. Iraq’s most promi nent Shiite leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, has de manded direct elections to choose a provisional government. But the coalition wants to stick with a han dover plan agreed to on Nov. 15 tha calls for caucuses to choose a pro visional assembly. The election team is separate from a four-person mission the United Nations plans to send to Baghdad within a week to assess overall security conditions for a possible large-scale, permanent re turn of U.N. staff. That team would work out of the so-called “*green zone," a barricaded area in Baghdad that houses the head quarters of the U.S.-led coalition, and would focus on upgrading U.N. facilities that are outside the protected area. The United Nations has been clear that if it returns, it would not want its headquarters within the green zone, where it could be seen as too closely tied to the coalition. One U.N. diplomat said approval for an election team could come by Friday. Another agreed, but said the decision might not be an nounced until a few days after that. Annan has said he recognizes time isTunning out. The experts would have to finish their work within weeks because Iraq begins implementing basic laws for the handover and transition by the end of February. Elections would have to be held by the end of May at the latest. The U.N. Security Council, meeting late Monday with Annan and the Iraqis, unanimously sup ported the idea of an election team, further putting pressure on him to make a decision. At a news conference Monday, Annan said his primary concern was guaranteeing the team’s safe ty. The secretary-general ordered all international staff to leave Iraq in October following two bomb ings at U.N. headquarters — in cluding one on Aug. 19 that killed top U.N. envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 others. At the meeting Monday, the coalition and the Iraqis promised to provide security. Attending were the senior U.S. administra tor in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer; his British deputy, Jeremy Greenstock; and members of the Iraqi Governing Council. One U.N. diplomat said Tuesday the U.N. experts’ work would likely involve more than one trip. They could first assess what sort of po litical process is viable, and then return to make sure Iraqis and the coalition agree on the proposals. All sides agree the June 30 dead line for a handover of power is not up for debate, the diplomat said. THE GAMECOCK Interest Meeting 8 p.m. Wednesday, January 21 Russell House Room 305 HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO A SPRING BREAK TRIP?!? and other great prizes Grand Prize: 4 nights at the - P* Sandcastle Resort in Myrtle Beach - oceanfront room- for you and 3 friends! ~ Ocean jror^ Resort Great Runner Up Prizes From: At The pavilion ^ _ Mellow MR. FRIENDLY’S The*Shoe Market ^SSf1 NEW SOUTHERN CAFE r ii _ * • • pg pi - MTV CHANNELjO-l 1 MUSlC_UFVANDSOMUWf