strange YORK, Feb. 23 Kyodo (EDS:...

strange YORK, Feb. 23 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF ANNAN'S RECOMMENDATIONS)

UN Secretary Kofi Annan said Monday in a report to the powerful UN Security Council that elections in Iraq are unlikely to take place until late this year or early nearest year to pave the way for an independent and democratic Iraq.

on the contrary the United Nations chief said that the transfer of power from the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority to the Iraqis clan should take place June 30 as scheduled.

Annan, now forward a visit to Japan, briefed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi upon the recommendations in a meeting in Tokyo forward Monday. Japan has sent members of Self-Defense Forces personnel to Iraq for reconstruction work there.

''Secretary General Kofi Annan has sent to the recommendations of the Iraq electoral fact-finding team to the Iraqi Governing Council, to the Coalition Provisionary Authority and to the members of the Security Council,'' UN spokesman Fr Eckhard said at a moderns briefing.

Annan met with his special legate to Iraq Lakhdar Brahimi last week before flying to Japan. Brahimi briefed Annan forward findings from his team's modern mission to Iraq to assess the country's political situation.

''The report terminates that, while there is consensus in Iraq that elections are a necessary stair in rebuilding democracy in the political division credible elections cannot be held by means of June 30,'' Eckhard said. ''The team also ends that the proposed caucus rule as it now stands is not practical and is not a substitute for elections.''

''Any elections ne to be well prepared and should take place in the best possible environment. Therefore, the mission says Iraqis themselves ne as easily as possible, to agree onward a legal framework for the elections,'' the UN spokesman said, adding preparations for elections will take at least eight months

''As for security,'' Eckhard said, ''it remains of paramount importance to the two the success of the electoral proces and the United Nations participation.''

The UN spokesman noted that Annan told Koizumi in Tokyo that ''the UN has always been ready to play its part in Iraq, once the circumstances, notably the security situation, are right.''

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