Violence Spikes In Iraq Amid First National Elections After U.S. Departure
Iraqis cast their votes on Saturday in the countrys first polls since US troops departed, a key test of its stability in the face of a spike in attacks that has claimed more than 100 lives.
But the credibility of the provincial elections has come into question, with attacks on candidates leaving 14 dead and a third of Iraqs provinces all of them mainly Sunni Arab or Kurdish not even voting.
The election is seen as a gauge of the popularity of Prime Minister Nuri al-Malikis Shiite-led government ahead of a general election next year, but major issues affecting voters such as poor public services and rampant corruption have largely been ignored during the campaign.
I dont believe this election will provide a magic solution for the problems of Iraqis, and the problems in the country, said Ihsan al-Shammari, a politics professor at Baghdad University.
But, he said, a well-run vote with high turnout could bolster Iraqi belief in democracy a decade after US-led forces ousted now executed dictator Saddam Hussein.
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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/19/violence-spikes-in-iraq-amid-first-national-elections-after-u-s-departure/