BAGHDAD - Baghdad's newly-elected provincial council started its duties in a public ceremony Sunday, the first of 18 provincial councils to be installed since the January 30 elections, Iraqi interim authorities said.
"We are meeting here today as the new provincial council directly elected by the people to have responsibility for Baghdad," said outgoing governor Ali Fadel al-Messir, who will stay on in his post for the time being.
"This process of handing over power is the very essence of democracy," said Messir, speaking after a brief speech by Nasser Dahham Fayyad, a member of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq which won a majority in the provincial council.
No date was set for the council's first session or election of a new governor.
Earlier, the outgoing head of the council, Omar Rahman, had dissolved the previous council appointed by the US-led coalition.
03/06/2005 14:56 GMT