Paris: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called on President Pervez Musharraf to ensure campaigning ahead of Pakistan's elections in January is conducted freely and fairly.

"It is extremely important now that there be a very robust and concerted effort to make sure. That the political campaign that needs to take place can take place in an atmosphere conducive to free and fair elections," Rice told journalists.

"And that means that the opposition has to be able to gather and mobilize and has to have access to the press," she told journalists on the plane to Paris, where she is to attend a Palestinian donors conference.

Pakistan's election campaign began in earnest yesterday, a day after Musharraf lifted emergency rule and restored the constitution. The election commission is set to release the final list of candidates for the January 8 vote for parliament, which Musharraf's critics say has been effectively rigged against them during the six weeks of the emergency.

"If there are real efforts that are made to make sure that the opposition can act on its own behalf... Then this can be an election that can move Pakistan forward on the democratic road," Rice said. "This is going to be a very closely watched election," she added.

Source : PTI