Most predict a flawed election but one that may still be a step forward for such a long-suffering place.

But you can have a reasonable one, so why have a flawed election?

His party won 57 percent of parliament seats in a flawed legislative election in November 1996.

Biya has remained in power, winning flawed multiparty elections in 1992, 1997, and 2004.

After the 2000 mess, Americans were assured they would not have to live through such a flawed election again.

Mr. Gbagbo, who took power after what some regard as flawed elections in 2000, has rejected calls for early voting.

Protesters faced off with the police in Kinshasa after the deeply flawed presidential election in November.

Mr Shekhar replies that a flawed election is better than no election.

By failing to end a long impasse over flawed parliamentary elections, he has effectively shut down Parliament and now rules by decree.

He wrongly expected the same reaction as shown by the EU to the flawed election the previous year in Azerbaijan.