Baghdad: Iraq closes the airspace and crossing of land borders on Sundays when voters go to elections to choose parliament that many hopes will provide very much-needed reforms after decades of conflict and mismanagement.
Voting is scheduled to be held next year but was submitted in response to a popular rebellion in the capital of Baghdad and the South Province at the end of 2019.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest endemic corruption, poor service and increased.
They met with the power of turning off by security forces firing live ammunition and tear gas.
More than 600 people were killed and thousands of people were injured in just a few months.
Although the authorities surrendered and called the initial elections, the dead and crackdown with heavy hands pushed a lot of activists and young demonstrators who participated in protest to ask for a poll boycore.
A series of targeted kidnappings and killings that killed more than 35 people were increasingly discouraged by many of the part.
A total of 3,449 candidates competed for 329 seats in parliamentary elections, which will be the sixth held since the fall of Saddam Hussein after the US leadership invasion to Iraq in 2003.
More than 250,000 security personnel throughout the country are assigned to protect voting.
The army, police and anti-terrorism strength fanned and deployed outside the polling station, some of which were sounded with barbed wire.
The voters were beaten and looked before entering to throw their ballots.
Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi urged Iraq to choose in the middle of apathy and skeptics from many people.
“Exit and Choose, and change your reality for your sake and your future,” Al-Kadhimi said, repeating it three times after he committed a vote at a fortified school in the Green Zone of Baghdad, home to the embassy and the office government.
“For those who are doubtful, put your trust in God and go and choose what you consider appropriate,” he added, reflecting concerns over the large amount.
“This is our chance for reform.” The 2018 election only saw 44% of voters who met the requirements to throw their ballots, a record low.
The results are extended widely.
There are worries from the same or even lower jurnout this time.
Top Iraq’s Shiite scholars and highly respected authorities, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, have called for major voters, saying that voting remains the best way for Iraq to take part in forming the future of their country.
In the holy city of Shia Najaf, Cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr had an influential in Iraq, thrown away with local journalists.
Al-Sadr came above in the 2018 election, won the majority of seats.
The strict race is estimated between the list of Sairr al-Sadr and the Fatah Alliance, led by the Paramilitary Leader of Hadi Al-Ameri, who is second in the previous election.
The Fatah alliance consisted of parties affiliated with the power of popular mobilization, the umbrella group was mostly pro-Iranian Shiite militias that rose to stand out during the war against the Sunni extremist Islamic group.
It includes some of the hardest pro-Iran factions, such as the Asaib AHL al-Haq militia.
Al-Sadr, a nationalist and populist leader who was summarized, was also close to Iran, but openly rejected his political influence.
The election was the first since Saddam’s fall to continue without hours of night, reflecting the security situation which increased significantly in the country after the defeat in 2017.
The previous election was damaged by a bomb attack that had violated the country for decades.
As a precautionary measure of security, Iraq has closed the airspace and disrupts the air force from Saturday night to Monday morning.
In other Sunday elections occurred under the New Election Law which divided Iraq into a smaller constituency – another request from activists who participated in 2019 protests – and allowed for more independent candidates.
The resolution of the UN Security Council adopted at the beginning of this year ratified the expanded team to monitor the election.
There will be up to 600 international observers in place, including 150 of the United Nations.
Iraq also for the first time introducing biometric cards for voters.
To prevent abuse of electronic voter cards, they will be disabled for 72 hours after each person chooses, to avoid multiple voting.
But regardless of all these steps, claims to purchase sound, intimidation and manipulation have survived.
The Head of the Iraqi Election Commission said that the results of the initial election would be announced within 24 hours.
Iraq chose a new parliament in tight security
