Iraq's elections must be put on hold, a key figure in the country said today. The interim authority along with the US-led coalition has insisted the elections must go ahead as planned on January 30. But former foreign minister Adnan Pachachi said the poll would be seen as illegitimate because large sections of the population would not take part. (scotsman.com)

The preliminary findings of a new internal US State Department poll on Iraq obtained by AFP Thursday shows only 32 percent of Sunni Muslims are "very likely" to vote in landmark national elections this month and only 12 percent consider the event legitimate. (TurkishPress.com)

Two of its most prominent members were gunned down recently, but that didn't stop the Iraq's Communist Party from holding a campaign rally in downtown Baghdad, with supporters waving red flags and shouting leftist slogans. Few other parties have dared to do the same, but then Iraq's Communists are a stubborn bunch. And although they are not expected to win many seats in the country's Jan. 30 elections, their insistence on a strong voice in Iraqi politics could still pay off. (AP)