BAGHDAD, Feb 1: Interim President Ghazi al Yawar said on Tuesday a Shia would almost certainly head Iraq's next government but said he was opposed to any permanent division of top posts between rival ethnic groups.

The current interim administration has a Shia prime minister, Iyad Allawi, a Sunni president, Mr Yawar, and Shia and Kurdish vice presidents, Ibrahim Jaafari and Rowsch Shaways, respectively.

Mr Yawar said he believed the ethnic share out would "remain the same" for the post election government that must oversee the drawing up of a new constitution, with the Kurds also being given the post of national assembly speaker.

"This is my hunch for the time being during the transitional parliament," Mr Yawar said at a press conference. But he insisted it should not become a permanent arrangement. -AFP