Iraqis hope elections will bring efficient people

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqis who took part in the recent provincial council elections, held last Saturday, expressed hope that the elections would bring efficient people to seats and realize improvement in services and foster democracy. “Today my dream became true after taking part in the elections,” Sara Abdul Kareem, 18, told IraqiNews.com news agency, noting that she spent the last two weeks searching in the internet and read the lists’ programs to select the suitable one. She is Muslim and voted for a Christian candidate despite believing that he will not get the required votes to win. “I voted for a Christian candidate because I believe that Christians suffered from injustice and they should have a seat in the provincial councils,” she added. Ali Fadel, 18, was not enthusiastic to vote but he did. “I did not care to vote in these elections, but some of my friends encouraged me to vote for a candidate from the region,” Fadel said. He believes that voting in the elections was ‘a good thing’ in his life, because, according to him, it represents a kind of “independence in expressing the opinion.” Abu Fares, 55, waited in front of an electoral center in al-Shuhadaa region in southwestern Baghdad sine 6:30 a.m. on Saturday (Jan. 31) to vote. He said I went so early to be the first of voters. Umm Ali, 60, insisted on going to vote despite the distance she had to travel to get to the electoral center. “I insisted on going and voting despite the abstention of sons,” she said. She hopes that the elections will bring in provincial council members able to serve the citizens. On Saturday (Jan. 31), voters headed to polling stations in Baghdad and 13 other Iraqi provinces to elect their representatives in the country’s provincial councils amidst tight security measures. Over 15 million voters participated in the election, according to the IHEC. Security personnel, prisoners sentenced to less than five years and hospital-bound cast early ballots in the special voting, held on Wednesday (Jan. 28). Nassiriya, the capital of Thi-Qar, lies 380 km south of Baghdad. SH (S)/SR 3