UNITED NATIONS, Jan 28: Despite continued violence and the fear that some Iraqi groups will boycott Sunday's elections, senior UN officials say that the election in Iraq will be carried out as scheduled.

The Iraqi elections should not be seen as "a be-all and end-all," but only one in a series of important staging posts "along an evolving transition" as the country emerges from an extremely traumatic chapter in its history, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast told a news briefing in New York.

Despite the violence and threatened boycotts, "We strongly hope that this election, which should be seen as part of a broader and longer political process of transition, will help stabilize Iraq in the interest of the Iraqi people," he said.

He noted that everything was ready from the point of view of the UN, whose role has been technical and advisory in helping Iraqis organize the ballot. "From a technical point of view all is done, the arrangements are in place," he said.

"We encourage all Iraqis to exercise their democratic rights," Mr. Prendergast noted, referring to Secretary General Kofi Annan's oft-stated view that inclusiveness is the key to a successful transition and adding that "fortunately" there will be other opportunities in 2005 to achieve greater inclusion, starting with the constitutional process, a referendum in October and a second general election in December.

"But nothing justifies intimidating or murdering voters, electoral workers or candidates," he said of the guerrillas who have declared war on the polls. He did not think the UN had compromised its standards by participating in the electoral process under the prevailing conditions in a violence-torn and occupied country.