Iraq: Police, army cast votes in parliamentary elections

Iraqi police, military and security personnel today began voting in the country’s second parliamentary election since 2011.

The first polling stations opened in Baghdad’s Al-Karkh district where some 935,000 members of the Iraqi army and police – along with Peshmerga loyal to northern Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government – will be eligible to cast ballots.

In the Kurdish region, meanwhile, 99 polling stations have been opened for Peshmerga and Interior Ministry personnel.

On Saturday, voting will be opened to the general public in Iraq’s second parliamentary poll since US forces withdrew from the country in 2011.

The election will see more than 7,000 candidates compete for seats in Iraq’s 328-member national assembly.

Roughly 24 million Iraqis are registered to take part in the polls.

READ: Iraq completes security preparations ahead parliamentary elections