http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/981046/postsPARIS, Sept 12 (Reuters) - France wants a new United Nations resolution on Iraq to hand over executive powers to a U.S.-selected Iraqi Governing Council, possibly within a month, and provide for general elections by next spring.
In an editorial in the French daily Le Monde published on Friday, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin reiterated the priority was restoring Iraqi sovereignty and began setting out a timetable for a handover.
Key Security Council foreign ministers are due to meet in Geneva on Saturday to discuss a U.S.-drafted resolution to pull more international troops and money to Iraq. France and Germany want to downgrade the U.S. political role in the occupied state.
"Within a very short timeframe, for example one month, a transitional Iraqi government could be put together from (the Iraqi Governing Council) and would gradually be granted executive power, including over economic and budgetary activity," Villepin said.
"General elections could be envisaged as soon as possible, between now and spring 2004," he added.
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