BAGHDAD, June 7: Paul Bremer, the US overseer for Iraq, said on Saturday that he had agreed to amend his plans for an interim Iraqi administration but rejected demands for it to be elected to avoid it being seen as a puppet government.

In talks with Iraqi delegates on Friday, US overseer Paul Bremer agreed that the caretaker body would immediately appoint “interim ministers” rather than mere “advisers”, a spokesman said.

He also accepted calls for it to be allowed to appoint diplomats overseas to represent Iraq in regional or international bodies, although he added that their powers would be limited.

“Obviously they would have to have coalition advisors sitting alongside them,” the spokesman told reporters.

“They would not be considered ambassadors for legal reasons ... But we would consider them to be diplomats or representatives nevertheless.”

The coalition has already made clear that the same will apply to the “interim ministers” who will work in coordination with the senior advisors already appointed by the coalition in all of Iraq’s government ministries.

Under its interpretation of Resolution 1483 passed by the UN Security Council last month, the coalition will retain ultimate authority until a sovereign government has been installed following a constitutional referendum and nationwide elections, a process that may take as long as two years.

A seven-strong leadership council of Iraqi politicians who spearheaded the resistance to Saddam Hussein have expressed growing frustration that the interim administration is to have little power.

Friday’s talks were the first between council members and Bremer since he abandoned a promised national conference which had been due to name the new administration’s members in favour of informal US-led consultations.

The change of tack sparked angry accusations that the coalition was seeking to handpick its own advisors and warnings from some leading parties that they might boycott the new administration.. —AFP