No polls for some Iraqis

2005-01-11 16:33

Baghdad - Some areas of Iraq will probably be too unsafe to take part in the January 30 elections, Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said on Tuesday, and he promised to increase the size of the army in the face of a bloody insurgency, whose latest victims included 13 Iraqis killed by two bombings.

Allawi said the government had allocated $2.2bn to expand the army from 100 000 to 150 000 troops and provide it with new weapons.

Iraq's armed forces are poorly trained and often under-equipped, making them an easy target for insurgents who want to scuttle the elections.

He acknowledged that some areas of Iraq likely would be too unsafe to participate in the landmark balloting for a constitutional assembly.

The country's volatile Anbar province west of Baghdad and areas in the north around Mosul have seen little preparation for the vote.

"Hostile forces are trying to hamper this event and to inflict damage and harm on the march and the guarantee for the participation of all in the elections," Allawi said.

"Certainly, there will be some pockets that will not be able to participate in the elections for these reasons, but we think that it will not widespread."

While Shiites are expected to vote in large numbers, Sunni Arabs, who make up about 20 % of Iraq's estimated 26 million people, say it is far too dangerous to hold the election this month, and many are refusing to participate.

Failure by the Sunni Arabs to participate, would undermine the election's credibility.

American officials have cautioned that insurgents will escalate attacks before the elections.

- AP