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Thu 05 May 2004Scientist tipped to be Iraqi premierIRAQ: The UN envoy to Iraq, Mr Lakhdar Brahimi, is expected to name on June 1st an Iraqi transitional administration consisting of a president, two vice-presidents, an executive prime minister and 26 ministers. While negotiations are still taking place with the four principal figures, their names have been released.The executive prime ministerial post is to go to Dr Hussein Shahristani (62), a nuclear scientist who holds degrees from London and Toronto universities. He was a member of Iraq's nuclear research programme until Saddam Hussein launched a weapons programme in response to Israel's attack on the Osirak reactor in 1982.