BAGHDAD: Turnout was reportedly sluggish 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.
The commission in charge of the election ruled out extending the voting hours. An electronic voting system is being used for the first time in Iraq in order to dispel concerns about vote rigging.
The commission added that the voting went on smoothly and that the turnout varied among electoral districts, without giving figures. Small numbers of voters trickled in at several polling stations after the balloting started at 7 am, according to some monitors.
An observer from the German Friedrich Ebert Foundation said turnout at 18 polling stations he visited in the capital, Baghdad, was about 10 per cent of the registered voters by 3 pm.
Prime Minister Haider al Abadi ordered the lifting of restrictions on the movement of vehicles across Iraq in an attempt to help voters gain easier access to polls.
Electoral officials said the voter showing picked momentum after the curbs were removed.
In a sign of improved security in the country, Al Abadi also ordered the reopening of Iraq’s airports, hours after they were closed as part of stringent security for the election.
Thousands of security forces have been deployed at polling stations across Iraq to prevent potential attacks by IS militants.
Last month, IS threatened to attack Iraq’s polling stations, saying any participant in the vote would be targeted. Some local media reported balloting delays caused by problems in electronic voting devices at several polls in Iraq.
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