Region | Iraq

Huge participation from women and Sunni Arabs in Iraq elections

Iraqis went to polls on Saturday to vote in the country's provincial elections, with a massive participation from Sunni Arabs and women, a candidate told Gulf News.

  • By Basil Adas, Correspondent
  • Published: 15:23 January 31, 2009
  • Gulf News

Baghdad: Iraqis went to polls on Saturday to vote in the country's provincial elections, with a massive participation from Sunni Arabs and women, a candidate told Gulf News.

Ammar Al Zobaie, a Sunni Islamic Party's candidate in Fallujah, said many Sunni Arabs participated in the elections.
"Sunni Arabs [want] to redress the harm suffered by the Sunni cities because of their non-participation in the previous elections in 2005, which led to the suspension of development projects," Al Zobaie said.

Tribal elders in Al Anbar said that the large Sunni attendance in the elections is also aimed at decreasing in the influence of Al Qaida.

Girl power

Amera Al Baldawi, a member of the Iraqi parliament, told Gulf News that women also turned out in full force at the elections.

Al Baldawi said the participation of women in the elections shows "greater political maturity" in Iraq.

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