High Sunni turnout as Iraqis cast ballots

IRAQIS voted yesterday in one of the largest and freest elections in the Arab world, with strong turnout reported in Sunni areas and even a shortage of ballots in some precincts.

Several explosions rocked Baghdad throughout the day, but the level of violence was low.

The heavy participation in the parliamentary voting by the Sunnis, who had shunned balloting last January, bolstered US hopes of calming the insurgency enough to begin withdrawing its troops next year.

But much depends on whether the sides can form a government to reconcile Iraq’s various communities, or merely fan the tensions.

Officials were forced to extend voting for one hour, until 6pm local time, as long lines were reported in some precincts, which election commission spokesman Farid Ayar called a sign that the balloting “was successful and turnout was good.” Results will be announced within two weeks.

When the polls opened, a mortar shell exploded near the heavily-fortified Green Zone, slightly injuring two civilians and a US Marine. A civilian was killed when a mortar shell hit near a polling station in the northern city of Tal Afar, and a grenade killed a school guard near a voting site in Mosul.

A bomb also exploded in Ramadi, a mortar round struck about 200 yards from a polling place in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, and a bomb was defused at a site in Fallujah.

But violence was light overall and did not discourage Iraqis, some of whom turned out wrapped in their flag and afterward displayed a purple ink-stained index finger - a mark to guard against multiple voting. One jubilant Shi’ite voter in Baghdad proudly displayed all 10 of his fingers stained with ink.

The Bush administration hopes the new parliament will include more Sunnis to help establish a government that can lure other Sunnis away from the insurgency. Such a development might make it possible for the US to start to draw down their troops in 2006.

With a nationwide vehicle ban in effect, most Iraqis walked to the polls. Streets were generally empty of cars, except for police, ambulances and a few others with special permits.

An alliance of Shi’ite religious parties, which dominate the government, was expected to win the most seats, but not enough to form a new administration without a coalition with rival groups. That could set the stage for long and bitter negotiations - something the US wants to avoid.

The mood among voters varied. Sunnis were defiant, as if to assert their rights against the Shi’ites and the US. Shi’ites appeared confident of retaining their leadership role.

Up to 15 million Iraqis were eligible to vote elect 275 members of the first full-term parliament from among 7,655 candidates running on 996 tickets, representing Shi’ite, Sunni, Kurdish, Turkomen and sectarian interests. Iraqis do not vote for individual candidates, but instead for lists - or tickets - that compete for the seats in each of the 18 provinces.

Sunnis appear to have turned out in large numbers to try to curb the power of Shi’ite clerical parties now in control.

“We lost a lot during the last elections, but this time we will take our normal and key role in leading this country,” said lawyer Yahya Abdul-Jalil in Ramadi.

Shi’ite parties also had urged a large turn-out. Iraq’s leading Shi’ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, told Shi’ites to support candidates who defend their principles - a veiled warning against turning toward secular politics.

In the northern cities of Mosul and Kirkuk, turnout also was brisk, especially in Kurdish districts.

Election of the new parliament, which will serve a four-year term, marks the final step in the US blueprint for democracy. The parliament will name a government, including a new prime minister.

For the Bush administration, the stakes are nearly as high as for the Iraqis. A successful election would represent a much-needed political victory amid doubts about the war in America.