The appearance of Brown at the inquiry before the general election, which many commentators expect to be held on May 6, could prove to be politically damaging for the beleaguered premier.

LONDON: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will appear before the Iraq war inquiry on March 5, the inquiry said in a statement Monday.

Brown was Britain’s finance minister at the time of the 2003 US-led invasion, and is being called to give his account of the conflict several weeks after then prime minister Tony Blair gave evidence on January 29, reports AFP.

The appearance of Brown at the inquiry before the general election, which many commentators expect to be held on May 6, could prove to be politically damaging for the beleaguered premier.

“The Iraq Inquiry Committee will question him about his time both as prime minister and as chancellor of the exchequer,” it said.

Brown was Britain’s chancellor from 1997 before taking over as premier from Blair in June 2007.

The inquiry also announced that Foreign Secretary David Miliband would appear on March 8, while International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander would appear on the same day as Brown.

Since November, a succession of military chiefs, civil servants and former ministers have been called to explain Britain’s role in the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and its aftermath.

Blair has been the highlight of the inquiry so far. He insisted he had no regrets about ousting Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein after delivering a robust defence of the 2003 invasion.

Brown has until now said little of his role in the run-up to the war, which remains deeply divisive here and is viewed by many voters as a major mark against the Labour government’s 13 years in office.

Inquiry chairman John Chilcot initially said he would not call Brown or any other serving ministers until after the general election, which must be held by early June at the latest, to avoid it dominating the political campaigns.

But following pressure from opposition parties, Brown wrote to Chilcot saying he was happy to appear at any time.

The five-member panel is expected to complete its report by the end of the year.

The inquiry is being conducted to identify lessons that can be learned from the invasion of Iraq and the subsequent war. It is examining the period from mid-2001 to the end of July 2009, when British troops formally pulled out of southern Iraq.

It is sitting at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in central London, just across the square from the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.