Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:40:55
Wisam Al-Bayati, Press TV, Baghdad
31/01/2009 | Al Manar
More than 14,400 candidates are vying for a seat in today's poll in Iraq including 3,900 women. There are 440 seats up for grabs, across 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces. 300,000 local and international observers will monitor the poll in provincial elections on Saturday in a crucial test for the nation struggling to emerge from years of sectarian strife and strengthen its fledgling democracy.
About 15 million eligible Iraqis have been called to cast ballots at thousands of voting centers that opened at (0400 GMT) and will close at (1400 GMT).
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki hailed what he said appeared to be a strong turnout in
Saturday's provincial election and called on his compatriots to vote in large numbers. "I am very happy today because all our information shows that we are going to see a large participation in the vote by Iraqis," he said after casting his ballot in the highly-fortified Green zone in Baghdad.
The level of turnout will be an indicator of "the Iraqi people's trust in their government and in the elections," which he said were "proof that the Iraqi people are now living in real security."
Security for the nation's first ballot since 2005 was extremely tight with Iraqi police and military deployed in strength as part of ramped-up measures aimed at preventing attacks.
In Tikrit, the hometown of executed president Saddam Hussein, four mortars exploded near several polling centers. Police said the bombs had missed their mark and there were no casualties.
Saturday's election is seen as a key test of Iraq's steadily improving stability and democratic political system as US President Barack Obama looks to redeploy American troops to Afghanistan.
"Obviously the president will watch the results, and believes that the provincial elections this weekend mark another significant milestone in Iraq's democratic development," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters on Friday.
Ahead of the voting authorities sealed Iraq's borders, shut down airports and imposed transport bans and night-time curfews as part of the massive security lockdown for the election.
State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood said in Washington observers from the US embassy in Baghdad as well as reconstruction teams composed of US civilians will help monitor the elections.
The United Nations and Iraq's Independent High Election Commission is organizing the elections.
More than 14,400 candidates are standing for 440 seats in councils, which appoint the provincial governor and oversee finance and reconstruction, with a combined budget of 2.5 billion dollars.
The vote is also being seen as a quasi referendum on the leadership of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
The premier has emerged in recent months as stronger-than-expected leader, promoting a secular national agenda in response to the sectarian strife that tore Iraq apart in the wake of the 2003 invasion.
Although Maliki is not standing in the election, he has thrown his support behind a list of candidates that make up the State of Law Coalition.
The vote will not include the three autonomous Kurdish provinces -- Arbil, Dohuk and Sulaimaniyah, all in the north.
Elections have been postponed in the oil-rich Kirkuk province, which the Kurds want to incorporate despite fierce opposition by the central government.
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