The United Nations is confident Iraq can hold credible polls on time despite relentless bombings and kidnappings by anti-US insurgents bent on derailing the political process.
"The electoral commission is preparing on time," said Carlos Valenzuela, the top UN elections expert in the country, who has worked on landmark elections from East Timor to the Palestinian territories. "I think elections can be credible. It is a difficult situation but when you have a transitional election, by definition it is conducted in an environment that is less than ideal."
Sitting in his tiny office in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, Mr Valenzuela said a boycott would damage but not destroy the credibility of the poll, but added that the commission was not planning to exempt any areas from the vote.
"If people believe in the process they will take risks, they will go out there and take risks because they think it is worth it," he said of the boycott threat.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200410/s1227614.htm
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