Basra’s vehicle curfew lifted

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: A vehicle curfew was lifted in Basra on Saturday noon due to the stable security situation in the province, according to a local security command. “The operations room has lifted the curfew on Saturday noon and allowed the movement of vehicles due to the stability in the security situation and the absence of security violations,” the head of Basra’s operations room, Staff Lt. Gen. Mohan Hafiz al-Fariji, told IraqiNews.com news agency. More than 1.435 million voters are heading to 490 polling centers in Basra province, where 81 political blocs and independents are competing for 35 seats in provincial councils. Voters have been heading to polling stations in Baghdad and 13 other Iraqi provinces since 07:00 a.m. Saturday to elect their representatives in the country’s provincial councils amidst tight security measures. Over 15 million voters from 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces will participate in this election, according to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). Security personnel, prisoners sentenced to less than five years and hospital inmates cast their votes in the special voting, held on Wednesday (Jan. 28). Basra lies 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. SS (S) 1