Security personnel vote in provincial elections

The Iraqi Electoral Commission has confirmed that 720,443 citizens are registered to vote in Saturday's special provincial ballot with 651,000 security personnel set to cast their votes a week ahead of polling day. Voting is taking place at 425 polling stations across 12 of the Iraq's 18 provinces, and in Baghdad, security has been intensified to keep proceedings in check. Iraqis eligible to vote began to queue outside polling stations even before they had opened at 0700 hrs on Saturday morning. In the Wasit province, 180km south of Baghdad, the Electoral Officer, Haider Abd Allawi said: "Twelve polling stations across the province opened at seven this morning," adding that the centres were technically and administratively prepared for voter intake. Fifteen candidates are standing for election to the Wasit Provincial Council, with 4 candidates competing for the seat of the Faili Kurds, compared to the 67 candidates who contested the same seat last time. In total, the number of candidates taking part in these Iraqi elections is 428, down significantly from the 1230 candidates who contested the previous elections. Wasit Province has 24 seats in total and an electorate of 1,240,930 citizens. However, only 715,350 voters have registered to cast their vote. North of the country, in Kirkuk, Electoral Commission official Farhad Talabani disclosed that voting for security personnel began at seven in the morning in the cities of Kirkuk, Hawijah, Degi, Moltaka and Taza, and is expected to continue until 1700 hrs. Talabani confirmed that 11,258 public sector employees had registered to vote in Kirkuk during these elections, and assured reporters that the voting process is going very smoothly.