Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said in remarks published on Wednesday that elections would go ahead as planned on January 30 but conceded there would be problems in ensuring a nationwide vote. (new kerala [India])

Secret ballots are the cornerstone of any democratic process. But little more than two weeks before Iraq's first free elections on Jan. 30, the country is finding that secrecy is being taken to new heights. The identities of many of the candidates haven't been publicly disclosed and are likely to remain secret until after election day, an illustration of the difficulty in mounting an election amid war. (Christian Science Monitor) [an Iraqi blogger commented on this several days ago. hunting for that link. -ed]