1219 candidates to run for local elections in Wassit

WASSIT / IraqiNews.com: A total of 1219 candidates distributed on 67 blocs will run for the Wassit provincial council elections, a source from the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) said on Wednesday. “The candidates will compete for 28 seats of the Wassit provincial council,” the source told IraqiNews.com. “The Wassit elections office decided today to open 22 polling stations throughout Wassit,” he noted. A Shiite province, Wassit, 180 km south of Baghdad, is in the east of the country. Its name comes from the Arabic word meaning “middle,” as it lies along the Tigris about midway between Baghdad and Basra. Its major cities include the capital, al-Kut, and al-Hayy. Prior to 1976 it was known as Kut Province. SH (P) 1