Iraq holds first provincial elections in a decade
A total of 5,904 candidates from various parties and alliances are competing in the elections, in which approximately 17 million people have the right to vote.
On Monday morning at 7:00 am, 7,166 polling stations will open under tight security, before closing at 6:00 pm. / Photo: AFP
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.
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