Iraqis vote in first elections since ISIL defeat

Iraqis head to the polls on Saturday in the first parliamentary election since the country declared victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group at the end of 2017.

Polls opened at 7am and will close at 6pm (04:00 to 15:00 GMT). While the independent body overseeing the election projected a high turnout among the 24.5 million registered voters, the early hours of Saturday saw few people taking part in the vote.

The low turnout was partly blamed on a 24-hour curfew put in place by the government since midnight, which was partially lifted by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi later in the day.

Few foresee a dramatic government shake-up given the country’s sectarian divides, but the balloting is expected to be a referendum on al-Abadi’s tenure and his pledge to be more inclusive of Iraq’s Sunni minority.

Corruption, security, poverty, Iran’s influence and the future of US forces currently in Iraq are other issues that have dominated the run-up to the election.

A total of 6,990 candidates from 87 parties are competing against one another, with nearly 2,011 female candidates who are guaranteed 25 percent, or 83, of the seats. Nine seats will be allocated to minorities.