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CNN Sunday Morning
Iraqi Governing Council Holds Inaugural Session
Aired July 13, 2003 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Today marked a new beginning in Iraq, as the first Iraqi governing council held its inaugural session.
Our Rym Brahimi joins us on the phone now from Baghdad with the very latest on this first time meeting -- Rym?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, indeed, a big step forward according to many here in Iraq, with this governing council that's being instated.
As we speak, the person that's been chosen to make the announcement is a clergy, one of the former exiled opposition leaders. The group includes 25 people. And they will have some authority, they say, to basically appoint ministers, appoint diplomats, have a say in the drafting of the constitution.
Now they include some Shiite Muslims, some Sunni Muslims, some Kurds, a Christian. There are three women in the group. There's Turkemen, a whole group of people that basically represent this mosaic that is Iraq, the political, religious and ethnic parties that constitute Iraq today -- Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: And Rym, explain the process in which how these 25 were selected and by whom?
BRAHIMI: Well, basically, this has been an ongoing process. It's been going on for weeks, but it sort of took a very accelerated momentum in the past week or so. They had a meeting in the north of Iraq.
These people have been asking for an executive role for a while. Now initially, Paul Bremer, who is the U.S. administrator of the Coalition Authority here in Iraq, only wanted them to have an advisory role. And nobody was happy with that. There was a lot of pressure on him.
And it seems that a lot of the pressure that has come from the attacks against U.S. soldiers from the discontent of many Iraqi people saying that the U.S. hasn't yet delivered on a lot of the basic services like electricity and water has maybe urged Paul Bremer to reconsider. And now he's accepted that these people that constitute a group of people that he says are representative of all Iraqis can get together and will have a say in the running of day to day affairs in Iraq -- Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Well, Rym, what kind of response is coming from civilians there, knowing that this is for the first time a Shiite majority, as opposed to a Sunni Muslim majority?
BRAHIMI: Fredricka, that's a very good question. I think people are basically waiting and watching. Some people I spoke to said they were happy that this was finally happening because they are not happy at knowing that a foreign power, as they see it, the United States is running things, especially as, the way they put it, they say well the Americans are here. And okay, they've gotten us rid of Saddam Hussein, but they haven't given us anything better for now.
And so, I think some people are relieved. They do want this to be truly representative, but so far, people are still a little bit skeptical. There are people who are saying, well, we don't know these people. A lot of them were outside. We're the ones who suffered inside.
You know, there are a lot of questions. But basically what it comes down to, as far as I know from talking to people, Fredricka, is they want to see them deliver. They want the restoration of security, electricity, water. And I think that will -- really the proof of the pudding will be in the eating -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And I know it's still early, but are there any kind of signs of any conflict or how any of these members are not seeing eye to eye on how to resolve things as basic as security?
BRAHIMI: Well, certainly, there will be a lot of discussions. There was a lot of last minute wrangling last night as to who should be in that and in that group of 25. And one of the parties almost decided to pull out because they weren't happy with the appointment of one person who was then withdrawn.
But so far, they seem to have been able to agree on one very symbolic measure that they have been considering. It's not been announced yet formally, but they are considering to cancel all the Ba'ath Party national holidays. That's something they seem to have been able to agree on.
Of course, then it's going to be the appointment of ministers. They say they don't want ministers to be politicians if they will appoint technocrats, but it's likely that there will be a lot of discussions about that, too -- Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right, Rym Brahimi, thanks very much for joining us on the telephone from Baghdad.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 13, 2003 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Today marked a new beginning in Iraq, as the first Iraqi governing council held its inaugural session.
Our Rym Brahimi joins us on the phone now from Baghdad with the very latest on this first time meeting -- Rym?
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, indeed, a big step forward according to many here in Iraq, with this governing council that's being instated.
As we speak, the person that's been chosen to make the announcement is a clergy, one of the former exiled opposition leaders. The group includes 25 people. And they will have some authority, they say, to basically appoint ministers, appoint diplomats, have a say in the drafting of the constitution.
Now they include some Shiite Muslims, some Sunni Muslims, some Kurds, a Christian. There are three women in the group. There's Turkemen, a whole group of people that basically represent this mosaic that is Iraq, the political, religious and ethnic parties that constitute Iraq today -- Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: And Rym, explain the process in which how these 25 were selected and by whom?
BRAHIMI: Well, basically, this has been an ongoing process. It's been going on for weeks, but it sort of took a very accelerated momentum in the past week or so. They had a meeting in the north of Iraq.
These people have been asking for an executive role for a while. Now initially, Paul Bremer, who is the U.S. administrator of the Coalition Authority here in Iraq, only wanted them to have an advisory role. And nobody was happy with that. There was a lot of pressure on him.
And it seems that a lot of the pressure that has come from the attacks against U.S. soldiers from the discontent of many Iraqi people saying that the U.S. hasn't yet delivered on a lot of the basic services like electricity and water has maybe urged Paul Bremer to reconsider. And now he's accepted that these people that constitute a group of people that he says are representative of all Iraqis can get together and will have a say in the running of day to day affairs in Iraq -- Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Well, Rym, what kind of response is coming from civilians there, knowing that this is for the first time a Shiite majority, as opposed to a Sunni Muslim majority?
BRAHIMI: Fredricka, that's a very good question. I think people are basically waiting and watching. Some people I spoke to said they were happy that this was finally happening because they are not happy at knowing that a foreign power, as they see it, the United States is running things, especially as, the way they put it, they say well the Americans are here. And okay, they've gotten us rid of Saddam Hussein, but they haven't given us anything better for now.
And so, I think some people are relieved. They do want this to be truly representative, but so far, people are still a little bit skeptical. There are people who are saying, well, we don't know these people. A lot of them were outside. We're the ones who suffered inside.
You know, there are a lot of questions. But basically what it comes down to, as far as I know from talking to people, Fredricka, is they want to see them deliver. They want the restoration of security, electricity, water. And I think that will -- really the proof of the pudding will be in the eating -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And I know it's still early, but are there any kind of signs of any conflict or how any of these members are not seeing eye to eye on how to resolve things as basic as security?
BRAHIMI: Well, certainly, there will be a lot of discussions. There was a lot of last minute wrangling last night as to who should be in that and in that group of 25. And one of the parties almost decided to pull out because they weren't happy with the appointment of one person who was then withdrawn.
But so far, they seem to have been able to agree on one very symbolic measure that they have been considering. It's not been announced yet formally, but they are considering to cancel all the Ba'ath Party national holidays. That's something they seem to have been able to agree on.
Of course, then it's going to be the appointment of ministers. They say they don't want ministers to be politicians if they will appoint technocrats, but it's likely that there will be a lot of discussions about that, too -- Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right, Rym Brahimi, thanks very much for joining us on the telephone from Baghdad.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
