WASHINGTON, Nov 13: US President George Bush said on Thursday the United States was working on a new plan for hastening Iraqi self-government amid growing impatience among Iraqis over the occupation.

He said the United States was in a “struggle” with increasingly active Iraqi resistance fighters for the support of ordinary Iraqis, and vowed to prevail.

The president and the White House declined, however, to confirm reports that after meetings this week with the US administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, the president has abandoned his previous strategy of insisting on a new Iraqi constitution before handing over power to a temporary government.

“What I’m interested in doing is working with Ambassador Bremer and the governing council to work on a plan that will encourage the Iraqis to assume more responsibility,” Mr Bush told reporters in the Oval Office.

Mr Bush was asked whether he wanted to set up an interim government before a constitution was written. The New York Times reported on Thursday the administration had decided to hold elections next year and give power to an interim government before a new constitution is written.

That would be more in line with a transition plan that had been favoured by European countries, including France, but rejected by the United States in favour of having the US-established Governing Council write a constitution, then hold elections before power would be transferred.

But the head of the council on Wednesday called for an early provisional government, and ordinary Iraqis have expressed frustration with the pace of the transition.

“Ambassador Bremer sat right here yesterday (Wednesday) and talked to me about the Iraqis’ desire to be more involved in the governance of their country,” Mr Bush said.—Reuters