French President Jacques Chirac and his South African counterpart Thabo Mbeki in Paris urged the United States on Monday to rapidly transfer sovereignty and power to Iraqis.  

"Only a rapid transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi people, naturally with all responsibilities that it implies, will bring a solution to the problem," said Chirac at a joint press conference with Mbeki. "And it must not be too late," said Chirac.

For his part, Mbeki said: "The earlier the affairs of Iraq are given to the Iraqi hands, the better."

Under an agreement between the US administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, and the US-named Iraqi Governing Council, a provisional Iraqi government is to be formed by June, named by a transitional assembly to be elected by the end of May.

The governing council said a new government would be elected and draft a constitution before the end of 2005.

However, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said Monday that the transfer should be done by the end of this year.

Russia criticized the US-drafted plan on the acceleration of power transfer as ineffective and reiterated its call for a UN role in Iraq's political reconstruction.

(Xinhua News Agency November 18, 2003)