Baghdad: Iraq It closed its airspace and land border crossings on Sunday as voters voted to elect a parliament that many hope will deliver much-needed reform after decades of conflict and mismanagement.
The vote was due next year, but was brought forward in late 2019 in response to a popular uprising in the capital Baghdad and southern provinces.
Thousands took to the streets to protest local corruption, poor services and growing protests Unemployment. They were confronted with deadly force when the security forces fired rounds of ammunition and tear gas. In just a few months more than 600 people were killed and thousands were injured.
Although the authorities gave up on the elections prematurely and called them off, the death toll and heavy crackdown prompted many youth activists and protesters who took part in the protests and later called for a boycott of the elections.
a series of kidnappings and targeted killings Which has killed more than 35 people, has discouraged many from taking part in it.
A total of 3,449 candidates are in the fray for 329 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Saddam Hussein After America’s leadership invasion of iraq in 2003.
More than 250,000 security personnel across the country were tasked with protecting the vote. Soldiers, police and counter-insurgency forces were thrown out and deployed outside polling stations, some of which were tied with barbed wire. Voters were patted on their backs and searched before leaving to cast their votes.
President of Iraq barham saliho And Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi urged Iraqis to vote amid widespread indifference and skepticism from many.
“Get out and vote, and change your reality for Iraq and your future,” said al-Kadhimi, three times after casting his vote at a school in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, home to foreign embassies and the government. Office repeating this.
Expressing concern over the low turnout, he said, “Those who hesitate, trust God and go and choose the ones you think fit.” “This is our opportunity to improve.”
In the 2018 elections, only 44% of eligible voters cast their votes, a record low. The results were widely disputed. This time the turnout is expected to be equal or even less.
Iraq’s top Shia cleric and widely respected authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, called for a larger turnout, saying voting is the best way for Iraqis to shape their country’s future.
In the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Iraq’s influential cleric Muktada al-Sadr cast his vote among a bunch of local journalists. Al-Sadr came out on top in the 2018 elections, winning a majority.
A tight race is expected between the Al-Sadr Sairoon list and the Fatah coalition led by paramilitary leader Hadi al-Ameri, which came second in the last election.
The Fatah Alliance includes parties affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of mostly pro-Iranian Shia militias that rose to prominence during the war against the Sunni extremist Islamic State group.
It includes some of the most staunch pro-Iranian factions, such as the Assab Ahl al-Haq militia. The black-turbaned nationalist and populist leader al-Sadr is also close to Iran, but publicly dismisses its political influence.
The election marks the first since the fall of Saddam, reflecting a significant improvement in the security situation in the country since the IS defeat in 2017, reflecting the much better security situation in the country since the IS defeat in 2017. for decades.
As a security precaution, Iraq has closed its airspace and closed its air force from Saturday night to Monday morning.
In another first, Sunday’s election is taking place under a new election law that divides Iraq into smaller constituencies – another demand from activists who participated in the 2019 protests – and allows for more independent candidates. .
a UN Security Council The resolution, adopted earlier this year, authorized an expanded team to oversee the elections. There will be 600 international observers, including 150 from the United Nations.
Iraq is also presenting for the first time biometric card for voters. To prevent misuse of Electronic Voter Cards, they will be deactivated for 72 hours after each person casts his vote, to avoid double voting.
But despite all these measures, the claims of vote buying, intimidation and manipulation remain the same.
The head of Iraq’s election commission has said the results of the initial election will be announced within 24 hours.
The vote was due next year, but was brought forward in late 2019 in response to a popular uprising in the capital Baghdad and southern provinces.
Thousands took to the streets to protest local corruption, poor services and growing protests Unemployment. They were confronted with deadly force when the security forces fired rounds of ammunition and tear gas. In just a few months more than 600 people were killed and thousands were injured.
Although the authorities gave up on the elections prematurely and called them off, the death toll and heavy crackdown prompted many youth activists and protesters who took part in the protests and later called for a boycott of the elections.
a series of kidnappings and targeted killings Which has killed more than 35 people, has discouraged many from taking part in it.
A total of 3,449 candidates are in the fray for 329 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Saddam Hussein After America’s leadership invasion of iraq in 2003.
More than 250,000 security personnel across the country were tasked with protecting the vote. Soldiers, police and counter-insurgency forces were thrown out and deployed outside polling stations, some of which were tied with barbed wire. Voters were patted on their backs and searched before leaving to cast their votes.
President of Iraq barham saliho And Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi urged Iraqis to vote amid widespread indifference and skepticism from many.
“Get out and vote, and change your reality for Iraq and your future,” said al-Kadhimi, three times after casting his vote at a school in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, home to foreign embassies and the government. Office repeating this.
Expressing concern over the low turnout, he said, “Those who hesitate, trust God and go and choose the ones you think fit.” “This is our opportunity to improve.”
In the 2018 elections, only 44% of eligible voters cast their votes, a record low. The results were widely disputed. This time the turnout is expected to be equal or even less.
Iraq’s top Shia cleric and widely respected authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, called for a larger turnout, saying voting is the best way for Iraqis to shape their country’s future.
In the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Iraq’s influential cleric Muktada al-Sadr cast his vote among a bunch of local journalists. Al-Sadr came out on top in the 2018 elections, winning a majority.
A tight race is expected between the Al-Sadr Sairoon list and the Fatah coalition led by paramilitary leader Hadi al-Ameri, which came second in the last election.
The Fatah Alliance includes parties affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of mostly pro-Iranian Shia militias that rose to prominence during the war against the Sunni extremist Islamic State group.
It includes some of the most staunch pro-Iranian factions, such as the Assab Ahl al-Haq militia. The black-turbaned nationalist and populist leader al-Sadr is also close to Iran, but publicly dismisses its political influence.
The election marks the first since the fall of Saddam, reflecting a significant improvement in the security situation in the country since the IS defeat in 2017, reflecting the much better security situation in the country since the IS defeat in 2017. for decades.
As a security precaution, Iraq has closed its airspace and closed its air force from Saturday night to Monday morning.
In another first, Sunday’s election is taking place under a new election law that divides Iraq into smaller constituencies – another demand from activists who participated in the 2019 protests – and allows for more independent candidates. .
a UN Security Council The resolution, adopted earlier this year, authorized an expanded team to oversee the elections. There will be 600 international observers, including 150 from the United Nations.
Iraq is also presenting for the first time biometric card for voters. To prevent misuse of Electronic Voter Cards, they will be deactivated for 72 hours after each person casts his vote, to avoid double voting.
But despite all these measures, the claims of vote buying, intimidation and manipulation remain the same.
The head of Iraq’s election commission has said the results of the initial election will be announced within 24 hours.
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