UNITED NATIONS, Jan 20: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Monday warily agreed to a US request to send a team to Iraq to study whether the country could have early direct elections for a transitional government.

Emerging from what he called "a very frank and open" exchange of views with top officials, Mr Annan said at a press conference that he was considering a request by the parties that he send an advisory team to Iraq to examine the feasibility of elections before the end of June as well as possible alternatives.

Following talks in New York with members of the Iraqi Governing Council and representatives of the United States-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), Mr Annan said the UN was going to be active in recovery, reconstruction, humanitarian and human rights activities in Iraq.

However, on a possible UN role prior to the return of Iraqi sovereignty at the end of June, "we have agreed that further discussions should take place at the technical level, which would be focused on the most immediate electoral and security issues".

Mr Annan said after his meeting at UN headquarters with an Iraqi delegation, led by current president, Adnan Pachachi, and the CPA, led by senior US administrator, Paul Bremer.

"On the basis of those discussions, I will be in a better position to take decisions about what the UN can do to help, particularly regarding the possible dispatch of a mission to Iraq to advise on elections," Mr Annan added, referring to a request by both delegations that the UN send a team to Iraq to make recommendations on the feasibility of elections within the next few months and what alternatives might be possible.

"I think we all agree that elections are going to be necessary; indeed, there is provision for two sets of elections in 2005. The issue now is whether the technical, political or security conditions exist for general direct elections to take place as early as May this year," he said.

In his summary as chairman of the talks, Mr Annan reiterated that the UN's objective was to help the Iraqi people. "We would like to see as broad a consensus as possible develop among Iraqis on what needs to be done to bring about an Iraq at peace with itself and with its neighbours and on the role that the UN can play in this," he said.

Responding to questions, Mr Annan said he had previously indicated that he did not believe there was enough time between now and May to hold elections, "but the team will go down and look into that further and report to me".

Asked about the effect Sunday's bombing in front of CPA headquarters in Baghdad would have on the UN's return, Mr Annan said the event was not reassuring.