Iraq: Prime Minister 'determined to hold elections on time'

Prime Minister Ayad Allawi’s spokesman said today that the government was determined to hold January 30 elections on time despite calls by Sunni Muslim politicians to delay the balloting for six months because of deteriorating security.

About 17 Sunni Muslim politicians urged the government on Friday to postpone the elections, in part to convince Sunni clerics to abandon their call for a boycott and to enable the authorities to secure polling stations.