Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has pledged that next month's elections will be free and fair.
Mr Musharraf, who is on a four-nation European tour, promised that he will honour the result no matter who wins Pakistan’s upcoming election.
But he urged the West to allow Pakistan more time to work toward democracy.
‘We are for democracy and I have introduced the essence of democracy, but we cannot be as forward looking as you [in the West] are,’ he said, speaking to a group in Brussels.
Mr Musharraf, whose country is in a deep political crisis exacerbated by the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, acknowledged tensions in Pakistan.
Those tensions could cause those who lose the elections to cry foul, but Mr Musharraf said: ‘Whatever bugs we have had in the system have been removed.’
He said the media, which was restricted during the six-week state of emergency introduced in November, was free to cover the polls, which had originally been set for 8 January.
