The US administrator in Iraqsaid today the process of forming a government in Iraqwould start by the end of next week.
"I think you'll begin to see the governmental process start next week, by the end of next week. It will have Iraqi faces on it. It will be governed by the Iraqis," retired US general Jay Garner said.
As part of the process of replacing Saddam Hussein's government, a number of Iraqi political groupings are to meet in Baghdad on Monday with US officials,following an initial meeting near Nassiriya last week.
Mr Garner will lead an interim administration that will oversee the rebuilding of Iraq. The interim administration plans then to hand over to an Iraqi government.
Mr Garner said Mr Ahmad Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi National Congress, was not Washington's choice to lead Iraq, despite his reputation as an American favourite.
In another step regarded as vital in the early stages of rebuilding Iraq, an aide to Mr Garner announced that coalition forces had restarted some oil and gas production.
"We're pumping about 175,000 barrels a day, and we're pumping that to the refinery at Basra and also into the power plants in that vicinity," Major General Carl Strock said, referring to Iraq's biggest city in the south.
"This is strictly for domestic use, for Iraqi internal needs, it's not for export."