ands ▁for ▁an ▁early ▁election ▁and ▁Ay atol lah ▁Ali ▁al - S ist ani ' s ▁ins istence ▁eventually ▁forced ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁let ▁the ▁appointed ▁G over ning ▁Council ▁serve ▁this ▁function . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁months ▁of ▁the ▁occupation , ▁new ▁officials ▁were ▁appointed ▁to ▁several ▁local ▁and ▁regional ▁positions ▁( e . g ., ▁may ors , ▁govern ors , ▁local ▁coun c ils ). ▁The ▁officials ▁were ▁chosen ▁from ▁a ▁select ▁group ▁of ▁individuals ▁( including ▁ex - B a ' ath ▁party ▁officials ) ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁speed ▁the ▁return ▁to ▁normal ity ▁and ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁people ▁opposed ▁to ▁the ▁American ▁and ▁British ▁presence . ▁C ertain ▁religious ▁cler ics ▁and ▁other ▁officials ▁were ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁over ly ▁radical ▁or ▁dangerous . ▁On ▁occasion ▁the ▁appointed ▁officials ▁were ▁found ▁to ▁behave ▁less ▁than ▁ad mi rab ly . ▁On ▁ 3 0 ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁the ▁appointed ▁mayor ▁of ▁Naj af ▁was ▁arrested ▁on ▁charges ▁of ▁cor ruption . ▁ ▁By ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁dem ocr atic ▁elections , ▁under ▁the ▁super vision ▁of ▁the ▁C PA , ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁held ▁at ▁the ▁municipal ▁and ▁city ▁level ▁in ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁southern ▁and ▁northern ▁provinces . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 5 ▁November , ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁G over ning ▁Council ▁announced ▁that ▁a ▁trans itional ▁government ▁would ▁take ▁over ▁in ▁June ▁from ▁the ▁U . S .- led ▁powers , ▁and