Baghdad, Jan. 16 (Reuters): The chief judge in the trial of Saddam Hussein is standing by his resignation and efforts by Iraqi officials to dissuade him were not expected to reach a conclusion today, a spokesman for the court said.

“It won’t be settled today,” said the spokesman, who in keeping with tribunal practice, declined to give his name.

He also declined to name the senior High Tribunal judge who was dispatched to Judge Rizgar Amin’s Kurdish home city of Sulaimaniya to negotiate with him after the Iraqi government in cabinet rejected the resignation he submitted last week.

In the first direct comment from the US-sponsored High Tribunal’s administration since the head of the five-judge panel made public his resignation on Friday, the spokesman said: “The administrative magistrates responsible for cabinet issues delivered the resignation request to the cabinet. It will take some time in cabinet before a final decision.”