WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Vice President Dick Cheney said he would likely refuse to testify before Congress if he is faced with a subpoena from the opposition Democratic party.

The Democrats say if they prevail in Tuesday's legislative elections they may launch investigations into past actions taken by President George W. Bush's administration, possibly even issuing subpoenas to compel prominent officials to testify.

Asked in a television interview if he would testify before Congress if he received a subpoena from lawmakers however, Cheney said it was unlikely he would comply, as it would break with American political tradition.

"I have no idea that I'm going to be subpoenaed, and obviously, we'd sit down and look at it at the time," he told ABC's "This Week".

"But probably not, in the sense that the president and the vice president are constitutional officers and don't appear before the Congress," Cheney said.