Employees refuse to give back ballot boxes

Dubai: A wage dispute with Iraqi electoral workers yesterday marred the out-of-country voting for the Iraqi elections which ended on Thursday.

According to an observer at the three-day overseas voting in the Iraqi elections, about 16 employees refused to hand over the ballot boxes yesterday afternoon because they had not been paid by the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI).

"Some even threatened to tear up the papers," said the observer, who declined to be named. "They feared IECI officials would leave without paying them."

A senior IECI official was called in to resolve the impasse. The observer and IECI officials confirmed the boxes were handed over safely and undamaged. IECI officials played down the event. Rida Shahrestani, head of the IECI in the UAE declined to comment.

In Iraq, more than two-thirds of voters turned out in the landmark election, according to first estimates yesterday, spawning hope for the war-battered nation and boosting the prospect of drawing minority Sunnis into the political process.

"The number of whose who took part in the ballot should be between 10 and 11 million voters, according to our first estimates," said senior electoral official Farid Ayar. Final results are not expected for at least two weeks.