http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050125/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_iraq&cid=544&ncid=1480WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) discussed the upcoming Iraqi national elections on Tuesday with interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, the latest in a series of consultations with Iraqi leaders ahead of Sunday's polling.
They talked about election preparations and "about how the election will be a historic moment for the Iraqi people," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
The call lasted about five minutes, McClellan said. He said the two leaders, in particular, talked about security preparations and Allawi's efforts to reach out to all sectors of Iraqi society to vote, including minority Sunni Iraqis, many of whom have pledged to boycott the elections.
The vote this coming Sunday to pick a 275-member National Assembly is an important test for Bush's mission to spread democracy through the Middle East, and comes amid continuing fierce fighting between police and insurgents seeking to derail the elections.
"We're going to do all we can to support the Iraqi people as they move forward on building a democratic and peaceful future," McClellan said.