Iraq election campaign under way

A US security man walks past a poster of Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's list, called the Iraqi List, which will run for the coming national election, prior to Allawi's press conference in Baghdad yesterday. Campaigning opened yesterday for Iraq's landmark general elections to be held on January 30. The poll is billed as the first free Iraqi vote in half a century, but ongoing insurgent violence in Iraq is threatening the vote. Poster reads in Arabic: "Strong leadership.". PHOTO: AFP

The electoral authorities say about 80 blocs have registered to take part, including Sunni Muslim groups which had threatened to boycott the poll.

There are fears that the vote could be disrupted by the violent insurgency that continues to rage in Sunni areas.

BBC correspondent Peter Greste in Baghdad says it is hard to overstate the scale of the mountain that Iraq's democracy still has to climb.

The authorities must set up the physical electoral infrastructure across the country, including in places where the insurgency is still highly active.

More than 230 parties and groups, gathered into about 80 blocs or alliances have to try to sell their messages amid the violence and chaos.

Correspondents say that, as Wednesday is also the last day for registration, candidates and parties will be busy with administrative issues rather than public campaigning, so no rallies have been planned.

Poland announces it will cut the size of its force in Iraq from 2,500 troops to 1,700 in mid-February while the US says its troop numbers will rise from 138,000 to 150,000 ahead of the elections

Iraq's interim deputy foreign minister, Hamid al-Bayati, told the BBC that January's vote was intended to create a government in which none of the main communities in Iraq - the Sunni, Shia or Kurds - would be able to dominate.

The Shia - who make up 60% of the total population - have in the past been excluded from power in Iraq and many see this a chance to redress that situation.