Iraqis has started voting to choose their provincial councils, the first such election in a decade.

Ballots will be held in 15 of Iraq's provinces but not in the other three which are Kurdish and operate under a separate autonomous system.

On Monday morning at 7:00 am (0400 GMT), 7,166 polling stations will open under tight security, before closing at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT).

Some 17 million people are eligible to vote, with 6,000 candidates vying for just 285 seats in the powerful provincial councils.

They were established after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein and wield important powers, including selecting regional governors and allocating health, transport and education budgets.

Huge competition

As a reflection of Iraq's multi-confessional and multi-ethnic population, 10 seats are reserved for minorities, namely Christians, Yazidis and Sabians.

In addition, a 25 percent quota has ensured that 1,600 of the candidates are female.