UNITED NATIONS, April 27: UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said on Tuesday that despite violence in Iraq it was possible to set up an interim government by the end of May, a month before the US-led occupation cedes power on June 30.

"Though it will certainly not be easy, we do believe that it shall be possible to identify by the end of May a group of people respected and acceptable to Iraqis across the country, to form this caretaker government," Mr Brahimi said.

Brahimi has proposed that the current US-selected Iraqi Governing Council be dissolved and an interim government made up non-partisan experts takes its place until the elections. -Reuters