Help The Middle ClassNews and Information For The Heart Of America
THE POWER OF DEMOCRACY: Iraqis Flock To Polls, Despite Violence Leaving 25 Dead (Wall Street Journal)
Despite a spasm of violence early Sunday, Iraqis flocked to polling stations in what appeared to be large numbers, marking the country’s first parliamentary polls since 2005.
Polls were scheduled to close at 5 p.m. local time (9 a.m. Eastern time), but some voting stations accommodated crowds lined up after closing time. Iraq’s high electoral commission scheduled a press conference at 9 p.m. in Baghdad. Party officials said they may release their own preliminary results later Sunday evening, but no official results will be released for several days.
A series of morning attacks cast an early pall over voting, seeming to confirm fears that insurgents would disrupt polling. But violence subsided later. The death toll Sunday was likely to rise as emergency services responded to several bombings. But the violence didn’t approach other, recent attacks in Baghdad, marking a victory of sorts for Iraq’s security services.
At least 25 Iraqis died in dozens of attacks around the country Sunday morning. Mortar attacks in the restive northern city of Mosul and its surroundings forced five polling stations to temporarily close there.
TO CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE, CLICK THIS LINK TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL:
