Detainees vote early in Iraq's constitutional referendum

Thousands of Iraqi detainees who have not been brought to trial were allowed to vote in Iraq’s constitutional referendum today at prisons including the notorious Abu Ghraib detention centre.

It was not immediately known if the voters included prisoner Saddam Hussein.

The Independent Electoral Commission in Iraq had said the former leader would be allowed to vote, too, but officials today said they did not know whether he was.

In the rest of Iraq, voting won’t be held in the constitutional referendum until Saturday.

“The referendum on the draft constitution started early today in all Iraqi and US-run prisons in Baghdad and other provinces,” said Husham Al-Suhail, an official with Iraq’s Human Rights Ministry.

“Our crews are observing the referendum process to all of the prisons, including Abu Ghraib and Camp Bucca,” he said.