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Sunday, March 7th, 2010 | Posted by Editor - Blog News Service

Strong Voter Turnout On Iraq’s Election Day, Despite Deadly Attacks

Campaign posters line a concrete blast wall in Baghdad ahead of Sunday's national elections,

Campaign posters line a concrete blast wall in Baghdad ahead of Sunday's national elections,

Attacks in Baghdad have left at least 24 people killed as Iraqis go to the polls to choose a new parliament and leadership.

Iraqi voters are casting ballots in strong numbers in an election seen as a key test of Iraq’s ability to maintain security and conduct a smooth transition of power after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Long lines were seen at many polling stations Sunday, despite blasts in Baghdad during the early hours of the country’s first parliamentary election since 2005. At least 24 Iraqis were killed.

Officials say at least 12 people were killed and eight wounded when an explosion destroyed a building in the capital.

Scores of mortar shells have struck various locations, including in the “Green Zone” that houses parliament, as well as the U.S. and British embassies.

Some 19 million eligible voters are choosing from about 6,200 candidates for the country’s 325-seat parliament.
Polls close at 5 p.m. local time (1400 UTC).

There are no clear frontrunners in the elections. Many voters likely will choose among the three major Shi’ite-led coalitions.

Security has been tight throughout the country, with tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers and police officers patrolling the streets.

Along with the deadly attacks in Baghdad, militants have targeted other polling locations in Iraq, but very few casualties have been reported.

An al-Qaida-affiliated group, the Islamic State of Iraq, had warned that anyone who decides to vote will risk death.

Politically, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition and former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi’s Iraqiya bloc have both reached out to Sunnis and other minority groups.

A third Shi’ite coalition, the Iraqi National Alliance, has been playing up its sectarian profile and has strong ties to Iran. It has been getting support from followers of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

On Saturday, Sadr encouraged Iraqis to take part in the vote and give their support to those who can best serve the nation.

The poll is only the second parliamentary election in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003. It is being monitored by the United Nations, the Arab League and various international groups, as well as some 200,000 Iraqis.

Unlike the previous national election in 2005 when Iraqi Sunnis boycotted the polls, many of them say they plan to participate.

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