BAGHDAD, Jan 17 (AFP) - Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh said Monday his US-backed interim government was "prepared for the worst" on election day in less than two weeks' time but argued an "imperfect" poll was better than none at all.
"I hope elections will go smoothly but we are prepared for the worst, and we are dealing with a tough enemy that is intent on denying us the right to exercise our democratic right to elect a new government in Iraq," Saleh told AFP.
"It's a challenge but we are going to do it... It will undeniably be an imperfect election because we are talking about a tough transition process in Iraq but an elected government will be better than an appointed government."
Despite the grim prognosis, he argued it was one more step on the way to a new democratic Iraq.
"We are talking about the beginning of a democratic political process in the heart of the Islamic Middle East. It's an exhilarating, exciting moment in our history."
Saleh's comments were the latest in a series of gloomy predictions abouyt the January 30 elections from the Iraqi government and its US backers.
Last week, interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi acknowledged that voting would not be possible in some pockets of Iraq where insurgents hold sway.
A White House spokesman also cautioned elections would be "imperfect" and the top US commander in Iraq, General George W. Casey, forecast polling day violence.
01/17/2005 16:22 GMT - AFP