BAGHDAD: Iraqis in two Sunni-majority provinces voted under heavy security in delayed provincial polls yesterday which were marred by mortar attacks on polling stations that left two policemen dead.
The elections, postponed for two months in Anbar and Nineveh provinces due to security concerns, came amid a long-running political deadlock and are seen as a key gauge of politicians’ popularity ahead of a general election next year.
And while the heavy security largely managed to deter attacks during voting hours, officials said two policemen were killed by mortar rounds during voting in Anbar’s provincial capital Ramadi, and a party leader in Nineveh and four of his family members were killed by a suicide bomber on the eve of the vote.
Officials in Nineveh had not, however, recorded any violence by the close of voting yesterday.
Though provincial councils are responsible for a swathe of key issues ranging from basic services to some areas of reconstruction, Iraqis still lack adequate clean water and electricity, and some voters voiced frustration with poor government performance.
“I have come to the polling centre not to vote, but just to destroy my ballot,” said Fahd Ismail, a university student. AFP
