Officials from Iraq, the United States and the United Nations meet in New York today to discuss Iraq's political future.
Iraq's US governor, Mr Paul Bremer, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and members of Iraq's Governing Council will discuss the transfer of power to an Iraqi government and the growing public dissatisfaction in Iraq with Washington's political vision.
But Mr Annan is wary of endorsing a process he had no role in formulating.
Yesterday, a huge Baghdad bomb attack killed at least 20 people. The blast occurred when a suicide bomber detonated half a ton of explosives outside the top-security civilian and military headquarters of the US-led administration, a vast complex known as the "Green Zone."
It was the deadliest attack since the capture of ousted president Saddam Hussein last month and may intensify fears in Washington about the path the country may take after the expected July 1st hand-over of power to Iraqi authorities.
Ahead of the New York talks thousands of men gathered at a major road intersection in Baghdad this morning, waving banners demanding democratic elections and shouting their support for Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. He is Iraq's most revered Shi'ite cleric and has called for polls to pick a sovereign Iraqi government by the end of June.
The United States has promised to hand back power to Iraqis by end-June but does not plan to hold polls first, saying there is not enough time to organise them.
It wants to hold regional caucuses to select a transitional assembly that will pick the sovereign government. Elections would follow in 2005.
Mr Sistani says Iraqis must chose their own leaders, and many in the country's majority Shi'ite community and beyond agree with him. Protests in support of his stance have been held across the country, and more are planned.
The obvious support for Mr Sistani has rattled Mr Bremer enough to make him agree to review the plan for choosing a transitional government, though he maintains polls will not be held before the June 30th deadline.