Iraqi expats in 21 countries vote in general election

By Ali Jawad

BAGHDAD

Iraqi expatriates started casting ballots in 21 countries Thursday for the parliamentary elections, according to an Iraqi official.

The polling stations began receiving Iraqi voters abroad, Hazem al-Radini, a member of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), told Anadolu Agency on Thursday.

According to al-Radini, around 900,000 Iraqi voters abroad have the right to vote during Thursday and Friday.

In Turkey, Iraqis are voting at three polling stations in the Turkish capital Ankara.

The 21 countries where Iraqi expats were expected to vote include the U.K., Egypt, U.S., Germany, and the UAE.

Expat voting is held in the two days leading to the general voting in Iraq which is set for Saturday.

The polls are the fourth of its kind since the U.S.–led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and the second since the U.S. military withdrew from the country in 2011.

On May 12, Iraqi people will cast ballots in the polls in which 7,376 candidates are vying for a seat in the 328-member parliament. The national assembly will then elect a president and a prime minister.

Around 24 million Iraqis are eligible to vote.