BAGHDAD — Iraqis cast ballots in regional elections Saturday amid tight security, marking the country's first vote since the U.S. military withdrawal and a key test of its stability.
The results will not directly affect the shape of Iraq's national government. But the vote will be an important barometer of support for Iraq's various political blocs heading into 2014 parliamentary elections, and the outcome could exacerbate the country's already strained sectarian tensions.
Saturday's vote will also test the Iraqi army and police, who face a reviving al-Qaida insurgency and are for the first time since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion securing an election on their own.
AP
An elderly Iraqi woman casts her ballot at a polling center in Baghdad today.
As in past elections, officials have ratcheted up security precautions to thwart attempts by insurgents to disrupt the vote.
Security cordons are set up around polling places, and only authorized vehicles are being allowed on the streets in major cities. Voters dipped an index finger in ink after casting ballots to ensure each person voted only once.
By early afternoon, the U.N. special representative for Iraq, Martin Kobler, said the voting was going smoothly. He urged Iraqis to the polls, saying "the credibility of the elections depends also on the turnout."
There were reports of scattered violence during the first several hours of voting, but no fatalities. Six people were reported wounded.
Mortar shells struck near voting centers in Baghdad and in the towns of Mahmoudiya, Latifiyah and Mussayib, south of the Iraqi capital, as well as in Samarra, to the north, according to police and hospital officials. A bomb went off near a polling center in the southern town of Jibala while stun grenades, which emit a bright flash and loud bang, were thrown at polling centers in the towns of Iskandariyah and Beiji.
Deputy Interior Minister Adnan al-Asadi described the security situation as stable.
"The police and army are deployed everywhere to make sure the election day and polling stations are secured. We call upon all the people to go out and cast their ballots because it the best way to face terrorism," he told state TV.
Militants have stepped up attacks in recent days. A wave of car bombings and other attacks Monday killed at least 55 and wounded more than 200. Attacks have continued throughout the week, including a suicide bombing at a packed cafe late Thursday that left 32 dead.
Iraqi state television showed government officials, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, casting their ballots at the Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Iraqis vote in first election since US withdrawal
Dengan url
http://solusiagarsehat.blogspot.com/2013/04/iraqis-vote-in-first-election-since-us.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Iraqis vote in first election since US withdrawal
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Iraqis vote in first election since US withdrawal
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar