EU mission: the participation rate in the elections is weak

Shafaq News/ The European Union mission to observe the elections in Iraq described on Sunday the rate of participation in public polling as "weak" so far.

The head of the mission, Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, said in a press conference held this afternoon in Baghdad that participation is weak so far, "but it is not possible to issue any final judgment on this matter."

She added that people do not interact much with the elections, and "we hope that the turnout will increase during the next two hours."

Iraqis started on Sunday voting in a general election, their fifth legislative elections since the fall of the regime of late President Saddam Hussein at the hands of US forces and their allies in 2003.

Several months early, the election was held under a new law designed to help independent candidates - a response to mass anti-government protests two years ago.

Polling stations scattered across the country opened their doors at 7:00 local time to voters amid international supervision and strict security measures, as 23 million voters are eligible to vote to select 329 candidates for the parliamentary session, in which 57,834 polling stations were included.

Last Friday, 821,800 out of 1196524 voters (69%) of Soldiers, prisoners, and displaced people voted in special early polls in Iraq.