Iraqi Shia political leaders insisted on Thursday that elections scheduled for January could still go ahead, despite fresh indications by Iraqi and United Nations officials that mounting violence threatens to postpone the long-delayed polls.

Ghazi al-Yawar, Iraq's US-appointed president, said on Thursday during a visit to The Hague: "I think it is a little premature to decide on this issue [the timing of the elections]... Our priority is to work on restoring security....We want to hold the elections in a safe and secure environment."