In the audiotape, a speaker identifying himself as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi _ the leader of Iraq's al-Qaida affiliate _ called candidates running in the elections "demi-idols" and said those who vote for them "are infidels."
"We have declared a fierce war on this evil principle of democracy and those who follow this wrong ideology," the speaker said. "Anyone who tries to help set up this system is part of it" _ a clear warning to both candidates and those who choose to vote.
The speaker warned Iraqis to be careful of "the enemy's plan to implement so-called democracy in your country." He said the Americans have engineered the election to install Shiite Muslims in power.
The insurgency in Iraq is largely fought by extremists from the Sunni Arab minority, a community that lost influence and privilege with the fall of their patron Saddam Hussein.
Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi dismissed al-Zarqawi's remarks.
"We are insisting on smashing this aggressor group," Allawi told Al-Arabiya television. "The Iraqi people insist on victory and we will win."
The election has further split the rival religious communities, with Iraq's Shiite majority embracing the vote as a chance to cement their new power and many Sunnis calling for a boycott of the vote to protest U.S. military action in Sunni areas like Fallujah.
"Four million Shiites were brought from Iran to take part in the elections to achieve their aim of winning" most of the positions, the speaker in the tape said.
He railed against democracy for supplanting the rule of God with the rule of man and the majority, saying it was based on un-Islamic beliefs and behaviors such as freedom of religion, freedom of expression, separation of religion and state and forming political parties.
The tape surfaced as rumors spread in Iraq that al-Zarqawi had been captured. On Saturday, Iraqi Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib refused to comment on the rumors at a news conference. "Let's see. Maybe in the next few days we will make a comment about it," he said.
The United States has offered a $25 million reward for al-Zarqawi's capture or death _ the same amount as for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
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