Arab delegations to an international conference on Iraq said this evening it might turn out better to delay Iraqi elections beyond January to ensure full participation.
The Iraqi government said however that after the US assault on the city of Falluja it was optimistic about the prospects for holding the elections on January 30th despite the possibility that some Arab Sunnis will boycott them.
Egypt, Jordan and the Arab League all raised the possibility of delaying the elections beyond January, the date set by the UN Security Council, if the process is not inclusive.
Foreign Minister MR Ahmed Aboul Gheit of Egypt, the conference host, said the debate would indicate "whether it is really possible to hold these elections at the time fixed or whether the matter requires additional thought".
Mr Hesham Youssef, a senior adviser to Arab League chief Mr Amr Moussa, said many delegations had raised the question: "We would prefer inclusiveness by giving them more time rather than exclusiveness and on time," he said.
But a senior US official travelling with Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell to the Sharm el-Sheikh conference said Washington believed the January 30th election date was "very feasible" and was working to help Iraqi leaders meet their goal.