Iraqis Vote Despite Election-Day Attacks

At least 38 people were killed in a wave of attacks during the Iraqi election on Sunday.
Iraqis Vote Despite Election-Day Attacks
An Iraqi man inspects destruction at the site of an explosion in Baghdad on March 7. Iraqis defied waves of bomb, mortar, and rocket attacks that killed 38 people, to turn out to vote in huge numbers in the second parliamentary elections since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images )
3/7/2010
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/i97507832iraqelection.jpg" alt="An Iraqi man inspects destruction at the site of an explosion in Baghdad on March 7. Iraqis defied waves of bomb, mortar, and rocket attacks that killed 38 people, to turn out to vote in huge numbers in the second parliamentary elections since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images )" title="An Iraqi man inspects destruction at the site of an explosion in Baghdad on March 7. Iraqis defied waves of bomb, mortar, and rocket attacks that killed 38 people, to turn out to vote in huge numbers in the second parliamentary elections since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images )" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1822350"/></a>
An Iraqi man inspects destruction at the site of an explosion in Baghdad on March 7. Iraqis defied waves of bomb, mortar, and rocket attacks that killed 38 people, to turn out to vote in huge numbers in the second parliamentary elections since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images )
At least 38 people were killed in a wave of attacks during the Iraqi election on Sunday, the Interior Ministry stated. Voters in Iraq were casting ballots in the second parliamentary elections since Saddam Hussein was overthrown in 2003.

About 500,000 troops and security personnel were deployed to prevent attacks and ensure no disruptions in 8,000 polling stations across the country

With Islamist insurgents threatening to disrupt the elections the election-day violence erupted shortly before polling stations opened. Militants were also distributing flyers warning the voters to not vote.

Despite the threats, the election turnout was high, with an estimated 70 percent showing up at the polls. The Sunni Arabs, who boycotted the previous election, also reportedly turned out in large numbers after their leader called upon them to do so.

“I have great respect for the millions of Iraqis who refused to be deterred by acts of violence, and who exercised their right to vote today,” U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement.

Several cities experienced mortar attacks and roadside bomb blasts. Mortars were also fired in the capital of Baghdad, where two apartment blocks collapsed, one of them killing 12 people.

Long lines of voters were reported in several cities across the country. After the poll closed at 5:00 p.m. local time, residents who were already in line were allowed to vote.

The ballots will be counted twice under the supervision of U.N. observers to help mitigate possible fraud. The first results are expected on Wednesday.

Around 19 million Iraqis were eligible to vote, to elect 325 members to the National Assembly out of more than 6,000 candidates from 86 different political parties.

Two thousands candidates are women, which according the Iraqis law, are allocated at least 25 percent of the parliamentary seats.

Analysts expect that no political party will win a majority in Parliament, so the formation of a coalition government is inevitable.

According to the pre-election survey, the State of Law coalition of incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki would win with about 30 percent of the vote. His campaign focused on Iraq’s improvement over the last two years, which improved with the signing of the agreement for American troop withdrawals and the start of economic recovery.

The formation of the Shi‘ites Iraqi National Alliance might win about 20 percent, according to polls. Similar strength is also expected from the Iraqiya Coalition, which promotes a secular state and wants to eliminate sectarian animosity between Shi’ites and Sunni Muslims.

Unlike the first parliamentary elections in 2005, security was mostly provided by the Iraqis, while the U.S. Army helped only with the reallocation of international observers.

The themes of internal security, corruption, and the quality of social services were the most prominent in the election campaign.

Another problem waiting to be solved in Iraq is the lack of electricity, as well as unemployment related to the devastated economy. While sectarian violence has been reduced in recent years, it is still prominent in Baghdad and vicinity.

The election results may have an impact on the withdrawal schedule for almost 100,000 U.S. troops, which are currently stationed in Iraq. According to the Obama administration’s plan, all combat troops will leave Iraq by the end of 2011, but the deadline could change in case of increased violence or instability in the country.