BAGHDAD, May 28 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - As the United States continued Friday, May 28, its negotiations with key U.N. players to secure a resolution for power transfer in Iraq, the U.S.-picked Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) selected Shiite member Iyad Allawi to be Iraq's new Prime Minister.

Allawi, a surgeon with long-time links to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), has been chosen for the post in Iraq's interim government, an aide to Allawi told Reuters.

"There was a meeting of the Governing Council and Dr. Allawi was unanimously chosen as Prime Minister," Hani Adris said.

Council member, Mahmoud Othman declared that the IGC unanimously approved the nomination of Allawi to be the first Iraqi Premier after the ousting of the Saddam-led Baathist regime, according to Al-Jazeera.

The choice was concluded during an exceptional meeting of the body attended by U.S. civil administrator Paul Bremer at an undisclosed location for security reasons, the Qatar-based channel said, citing Habib Al-Khuza'y, an aide to Allawi.

Bremer congratulated Allawi on his choice, according to Al-Khuza'y.

Allawi was a former Iraqi intelligence officer and member of Saddam Hussein's Baath party before he left the country in 1971 for a life in exile in Lebanon and Britain.

He heads the Iraqi National Accord, which he helped set up in 1991 and which has close ties to the U.S. political establishment.

Allawi is a relative of Ahmad Chalabi, a former Pentagon favorite who has fallen out with Washington.

Though related, Chalabi and Allawi are not believed to get along. Chalabi was himself long seen as Washington's likely choice to lead post-Saddam Iraq.

Another relative of Allawi's, Ali Allawi, was recently named Iraqi Defense Minister, although it is not guaranteed that he will keep that position once the interim government is formed.

Allawi is considered politically well connected in Washington and London and has extensive business dealings, and is also said to have close relations with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

The choice was also endorsed by U.N. envoy to Iraq Lakhdar Brahimi, according to Al-Jazeera.

Brahimi had not yet made his decision as to who would hold the most powerful post in the administration, a source has earlier told Agence France-Presse (AFP). His decision had been expected within the next week.

The interim government will take over running the country from the United States on June 30. Brahimi is helping select a 30-member team, including a president and 26 ministers.

The interim government will rule Iraq until nationwide elections in January.

In the meantime, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. counterpart George W. Bush held telephone talks Friday concerning the new United Nations draft resolution on Iraq, the Kremlin said without revealing further details.

Russia is insisting the new government of Iraq win greater control over the U.S. military after Washington hands over power on June 30.

Russia, along with France and several other powers, argue that the current wording being pushed by Washington on the new draft resolution concerning the transition of power is too vague on this point.

Moscow had opposed the U.S.-led invasion from the start, and attempted to use the U.N. Security Council, where it has veto power, to avert the invasion-turned-occupation.

It has been keen to preserve its interests in Baghdad, a former Soviet ally that owes Russia some eight billion dollars in debts, but whose new leadership has been undecided on Russia's claims to the country's oil industry, signed in the Saddam Hussein era.

Also Friday, French President Jacques Chirac called for the draft to be greatly improved to allow any future Iraqi government decision-making capacity on major operations of the international force there.

"We have, in the draft the United States has put forth, a solid starting point but now it must be greatly improved upon," Chirac, on a visit to Guatemala, said at a press conference with President Oscar Berger.

The interim Iraqi government "must have a decision-making capacity on the commitment of its own forces and on major operations of the international force there," Chirac added, according to AFP.

He added that the mandate of the international force should have an end date.