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December 15, 2005
Iraq: Voting Completed in Parliamentary Election
The voting in Iraq has passed with only a few incidents of violence, and a high turn-out, states al Jazeera. The larger than expected number casting their ballot led to the election commission extending the opening of polling stations by one hour, causing them to end at 6 pm (3pm GMT).
Hussein Hendawi, the electoral commissioner has said that the total who have voted may have exceeded 10 million. In Tikrit, home town of Saddam Hussein, there was an estimated 83% turnout.
In Sunni-dominated Falluja, where in previous votes turnout was poor, the sheer number of voters caused polling stations to run out of ballot papers.
In Mosul and Tal Afar, bomb and mortar attacks on polling stations caused the loss of two lives and wounded three. There were mortars in Samarra and Tikrit, and an explosion in Ramadi.
All voters at polling stations were made to dip their index fingers into indelible purple ink, to prevent multiple votings. The ink will remain on the electorate's fingers for about a week.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at December 15, 2005 1:17 PM
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