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The Council's ethnic and religious breakdown included 13 Shi'ites, five Sunni Arabs, five Kurds (also Sunnis), one ethnic Turk and an Assyrian Christian.
In September 2003, the Iraqi Governing Council gained regional recognition from the Arab League, which agreed to seat its representative in Iraq's chair at its meetings. On June 1, 2004, the Iraq Interim Governing Council dissolved after choosing council member Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-YawerGhazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer (born 1958? in Mosul, Iraq) is the interim President of Iraq. He was originally a member of the Interim Iraq Governing Council created following the United States's 2003 invasion of Iraq. As President of the Council, in 2004 he as the new Iraqi president of the Iraq interim governmentThe Iraq Interim Government of 2004 was created by the United States and its coalition allies as a caretaker government to govern Iraq until elections can be conducted, presumably in or around January, 2005. It took the place of the Coalition Provisional.
Though subject to the authority of the CPA administrator Paul Bremer, the council had several key powers of its own. Their duties included appointing representatives to the United NationsFlag of the United Nations The United Nations or UN is an international organization made up of states. Almost all countries are members. It was established in San Francisco on October 24, 1945, following the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in Washington, DC, b, appointing interim ministerA minister is a politician who heads a government ministry or department (e. education, finance, health, state, war etc. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet, usually led by a prime minister or president. The term "minister" comes from a Latin words to Iraq's vacant cabinet positions, and drafting a constitutionThe Constitution of a given organisation defines its form, structure, activities, character, and fundamental rules. To view particular constitutions, refer to the list of national constitutions. The term comes from Latin constitutio which referred to any to be later voted on by the Iraqi people.
Despite having to answer to the CPA, different factions have taken on controversial stands. Religious hardliners won a solid victory when Directive 137 was passed on December 29December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 2 days remaining. Events 1170 St Thomas Becket, is slain in his own cathedral on orders from Henry II of England. 1813 War of 1812: British soldiers burn Buffal. Passed by the council in less than 15 minutes, it replaced Iraq's former secular family law code with Shari'aSharia ( Arabic also Shari'a and Shariah is traditional Islamic law. Like most religious cultures, Islam classically drew no distinction between religious and secular life. Hence Sharia covers not only religious rituals, but many aspects of day-to-day lif family law. This move met with wide protest among many Iraqi women fearful of how it will affect their freedom to make their own decisions about marriage, divorce, alimony, and many other issues where Iraq used to be a leader in the Arab world for women's rights. Other legislation passed by the council included declaring the day that Baghdad fell to be a national holiday, voting to establish a tribunal to try former government leaders, and banning television stations which are deemed to be supportive of the resistance.
According to the Law of Administration for the State of Iraq for the Transitional Period, the interim constitution that the Council approved, the Council would cease to function after June 30, 2004, at which point full sovereignty would return to Iraq, and the government will be handed over to a new, sovereign interim government. Instead, the council chose to dissolve itself prematurely.