An Iraqi national conference which is expected to select a consultative council to the interim government will open on July 31, an organizer said Tuesday.

The conference, which will bring together 1,000 people, will take place in Baghdad slightly later than previously planned, Fouad Massoum told a news conference, adding that it would last one or two days.

The United Nations had pushed in the past week for it to be postponed for several weeks to allow more time to prepare for such a large gathering.

But Massoum rejected the delay, saying "credibility is essential because any delay would be explained in a negative way, especially given that Iraq lived for decades under promises that were never fulfilled."

It was reported that the conference, supposed to bring representatives from all walks of life in Iraq, will have to select a 100-member National Council, which would then act as a check on the interim government until elections are held in January.