BAGHDAD: A sluggish turnout was reported in Iraq’s parliamentary polls being held amid tight security on Saturday, marking the country’s first election since Baghdad declared the defeat of IS militants five months ago. Thousands of security forces have been deployed at polling stations across Iraq to prevent potential attacks by IS militants. But, in a sign of improved security in the country, Prime Minister Haider al Abadi ordered the reopening of Iraq’s airports, hours after they were closed as part of stringent security for the election.
Al Abadi also ordered lifting restrictions on the movement of vehicles across Iraq, his office said.
However, he gave local security forces the authority to reimpose the curbs based on their assessment of security requirements of their areas.
Last month, IS threatened to attack Iraq’s polling stations, saying any participant in the vote would be targeted. Small numbers of voters cast their ballots by midday in several provinces of Iraq, some observers reported.
Voting in the northern provinces of Diyala and Kirkuk was 30 per cent and 24 per cent respectively, independent portal Alsumaria News said, citing local electoral officials.
But a strong turnout was reported in the western city of Fallujah and in Mosul, an erstwhile stronghold of IS in northern Iraq. A commission in charge of the election reported no major violations, without giving specific figures on turnout.
The commission said there were breakdowns in some electronic voting devices, but were fixed soon. An electronic voting system is being used for the first time in Iraq in order to dispel concerns about vote rigging.
Some voters expressed enthusiasm. “Today, Iraqis try to make a mark by voting for candidates whom they hope will change the situation in the country for the better,” Ahmed Adel, a 34-year-old Mosul resident, said.
“We are voting for those who supported us during our ordeal of displacement and killing,” he added, referring to IS atrocities in Mosul. Some voters raised the Iraqi flag as they went to polls.
Nearly 7,000 candidates, including 2,011 women, from dozens of alliances are vying for the 329 seats in parliament. The elected legislature will later pick the president and prime minister.
The vote is taking place amid public concerns that outgoing lawmakers and politicians have done little to fight corruption, improve services and revitalise the economy in the oil-producing country.
However, some Iraqis were sceptical of the result. “The winner is known in advance. These elections are useless,” Shaker Saeed, a Mosul local, said, adding that he would not vote.
Al Abadi urged Iraqis to vote en masse. “These elections are crucial for Iraq’s future,” he said after casting his ballot in the central Baghdad district of Al Karada. Al Abadi, credited with ousting IS from Iraq, is eyeing a second term in office. He is competing on the cross-sectarian Victory Alliance list. However, splits among leaders of the country’s majority make it unlikely that a single electoral alliance will secure enough seats to form a government on its own. — DPA
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