Historic election in Iraq, participation of voters varied by region
Iraq, Politics, 1/31/2005

Atmospheres of prediction and caution started to overwhelm the Iraqi street waiting for the results of the Iraqi elections. The higher commission for the elections started to select the votes following the closure of the ballot centers.

The commission had announced the closure of the ballot centers at 5 p.m Sunday ( Baghdad's local time ), but stressed it will permit voters who were at the centers at the moment of the closure to cast their votes.

The commission decreased the expected rate stated before on the volume of the Iraqis who would take part in the elections. Its stressed by its chief Fred Ayar that the current estimates indicate that actual rates might not exceed 60% of the Iraqis who are eligible to voting, and not 72% as announced earlier. Certain Iraqi cities and governorates witnessed a high turnout for voting. The ballot centers in the Kurdish cities to the north of the country witnessed a great turnout since the early hours of the day on Sunday. Observers said that the turnout for the ballot centers in the southern governorates where the Shiite majority live had witnessed tangible progress.

On the contrary the central areas in Iraq, where the Sunni majority live witnessed a weak turnout. News reports and information from the governorates of al-Anbar, Salah Eddine and Deyali said that most of the ballot centers there were empty of voters and elections officials, alike.

Only one ballot center was opened in Samera and voting was almost nonexistent in the two cities of al-Ramadi and Tikrit.

Previous Stories:
  Independent Oil-for-Food panel interviews UN Secretary-General   (1/29/2005)
  Extreme violence escorts the Iraqi elections   (1/29/2005)
  Iraqis abroad cast their votes   (1/29/2005)

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