BEIJING, June 28 (Xinhuanet) -- The US-led coalition formally transferred power to the interim Iraqi government led by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi on Monday, two days ahead of schedule. The following is a chronology of key events since the US-backed Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) was established nearly one year ago.

    July 13, 2003 -- The IGC, whose members were appointed by Paul Bremer, the US top civil administrator in Iraq, held its inaugural meeting and became the first national executive body in the country since the ouster of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

    Sept. 1, 2003 -- The Iraqi Governing Council named the first cabinet since the US-led coalition forces toppled Saddam's regime.The new government had 25 members, with 13 ministry portfolios going to Shiite Muslims, five to Sunnis, five to Kurds, one to Turkomen and one to the Christians, the same composition as the council itself.

    Oct. 16, 2003 -- The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously for a US-proposed draft resolution on Iraq, authorizing the transformation of the occupying force in Iraq intoa US-led multinational force and allowing the Iraqi Governing Council to present until Dec. 15 a timetable for drafting a new constitution and holding elections.

    Feb. 14, 2004 -- Foreign ministers from Iraq's neighbors, including Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Egypt and Bahrain, held their 5th meeting of its kind in Kuwait City to discuss the post-war situation in Iraq and the repercussions of Iraq's prevailing insecurity on the region. IGC Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari attended the meeting.

    March 8, 2004 -- The 25 members of the IGC signed an interim constitution for the country. The move was considered a key step toward a planned power handover from the US-led coalition to the Iraqi people on June 30.

    April 4, 2004 -- Bremer announced the establishment of the Iraqi Defense Ministry. Iraq's interim trade minister Ali Allawi was appointed as the new Iraqi defense minister and the head of the intelligence service.

    May 12, 2004 -- The US-led coalition authorities in Iraq formally handed over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Iraqis.

    May 17, 2004 -- The rotating president of the IGC, Izzedin Salim, was killed in a car bombing in Iraq. The IGC appointed Ghazi Ajil al-Yawer, a civil engineer from the northern city of Mosul, to take the job.

    May 28, 2004 -- Iyad Allawi, a Shiite Muslim physician, was named as prime minister of the new Iraqi government which will take power on July 1. The United Nations and the United States supported the nomination.

    June 1, 2004 -- UN special envoy for Iraq Lakhdar Brahimi confirmed Ghazi Yawar as the new Iraqi president. Brahimi also passed on recommendations for a 26-member cabinet to newly-appointed Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.

    June 8, 2004 -- The United Nations Security Council unanimouslyendorsed a resolution to end the US-led occupation of Iraq and hand over power to a new Iraqi government by the end of June. The resolution, among other things, gives Iraq control over the country's security forces and spells out that the US-led troops, which will remain in the country after June 30, will stay only at the request of the Iraqi government. Enditem