More than 20 million people in Iraq are called to elect a new parliament. Soldiers and police officers are first in line.
The election of the new parliament in Iraq began with the vote of the security forces. Long queues sometimes formed at polling stations in the capital, Baghdad.
In addition to soldiers and police officers, civilian employees of the Ministry of Defense and the Interior can also cast their votes on Friday. The other eligible voters will vote this Sunday.
It is the second parliamentary election since the Iraqi government declared victory over the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) almost four years ago. The Sunni extremists took control of large areas in the north and west of the country in the summer of 2014. IS cells are still active in Iraq. A large number of security forces should prevent incidents during the election.
More than 20 million people are called to determine the 329 members of parliament. A quarter of all seats are reserved for women. The first results are to be announced on Monday.
Election observers from the UN and the EU are involved in the voting. However, their freedom of movement is very limited because of the difficult security conditions, said the head of the EU mission, Green MEP Viola von Cramon, of the German press agency. Before the election there was “clear intimidation” of independent candidates, especially those from the protest movement. That frightened many, said von Cramon. The observers themselves did not experience any incidents.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kasimi had preferred the vote after mass protests against the leadership of the country. Observers do not expect any significant changes in the balance of power during the vote. The favorite is the list of Shiite cleric Muktada al-Sadr, which won the most seats in the 2018 parliamentary elections.
Many supporters of the protest movement want to boycott the election because they consider the required far-reaching reforms within the existing system to be impossible.
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
