Maliki Seeks Third Term as Iraqis Vote

Local Editor

Iraqis streamed to voting centers nationwide on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki seeks reelection in the first national vote since US troops withdrew.

Voters have a long list of grievances, ranging from poor public services to rampant corruption and high unemployment, but the month-long campaign has centered on Maliki's bid for a third term and a dramatic deterioration in security in recent months.

More than 20 million voters will choose between upwards of 9,000 candidates running for 328 seats in parliament throughout the day, from the opening of voting at 7:00 am until 6:00 pm.

The run-up to the election has seen Baghdad and other major cities swamped in posters and bunting.

Parties have staged rallies and would-be lawmakers have angrily debated on television, though appeals to voters have largely been made on sectarian, ethnic or tribal grounds rather than the issues.

Attacks on polling stations and campaign gatherings in recent days have cast a pall over the vote.
In particular, the two days preceding the election saw more than 80 people killed in a spate of shootings and bombings, mostly concentrated in Baghdad and the restive north and west.

But many Iraqis have said they will head to voting centers regardless.

More than 750 people have been killed this month, with unrest at its worst since Iraq emerged from a brutal conflict that left tens of thousands dead in 2006 and 2007.
Militants have controlled the town of Fallujah west of Baghdad since the beginning of the year.

Parts of restive Anbar province, where Fallujah is located, will not be voting.

Maliki, who is 63-year-old, contends the violence is fueled by the civil war in neighboring Syria and has accused Saudi Arabia and Qatar of backing insurgents.

He has also complained that his national unity government is made up of groups who snipe at him publicly and block his legislative efforts in parliament.

"All those who are for Iraq's unity, who reject sectarianism and militias, and who do not deal with foreign agents, are our partners," Maliki said in a televised speech on Monday evening.

One bright spot during his time in power has been a significant expansion of oil production. Iraq exported as much as 2.8 million barrels of oil per day earlier this year.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team