US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said on Friday that the planned elections in Iraq must be "open to all citizens," contradicting Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's remarks that voting might not be possible in the more-violent areas.

"We're going to have an election that is free and open and that has to be open to all citizens. It's got to be our best effort to get it into troubled areas as well," Armitage told a House of Representatives committee.

He said to reporters after the hearing that "we absolutely want to hold them in all parts of Iraq." Asked if partial elections were under consideration, he said, "No. Not now. Not that I know of."

Rumsfeld said both on Thursday and Friday that he believes the elections in Iraq should go ahead. But he also suggested the balloting may be impossible in areas where the potential for violence is too great.

"We recognize there is an increased level of violence as we move toward these elections," Rumsfeld told reporters Friday after meeting with visiting interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi at the Pentagon.

Allawi has vowed time again that despite of worsening insurgency, the Iraq's elections scheduled for January will be held without delay.

Source: Xinhua