Noticias

Campaigning for Iraq's April 30 general election opened Tuesday, with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki bidding for a third term as his government grapples with the country's worst bloodshed in years.

Iraqis face a long list of daily struggles, ranging from lengthy power cuts and poor running water and sewerage to rampant corruption and high levels of unemployment, to say nothing of a seemingly endless stream of attacks which have killed more than 2,200 people this year.

La junta de la Comisión Electoral de Irak ha presentado este martes su dimisión en bloque para protestar por las supuestas injerencias políticas, a poco más de un mes de que se celebren los comicios parlamentarios y en un momento de extrema violencia en el país por los constantes atentados.

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi affirmed that the Iraqi parliamentary elections may not be held on April 30 as scheduled in light of the recent developments in the country.

A series of bombings targeted commercial infrastructure and security forces in Baghdad and its environs on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people. Car bombs were also reported in the holy city of Karbala, sacred to Shi’ites, and the southern town of Hafriyah, killing at least four others as the security situation across Iraq continues to deteriorate.

The prominent and key role played by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in formulating the general framework of the Iraqi regime after 2003 is no secret. He insisted that Iraqis write the constitution, demanded that the state hire people by democratic mechanisms and insisted on holding elections as soon as possible.

Chairman of Iraqi Elections Commission discussed with the US embassy in Baghdad the role of international observers in the coming elections.

In a statement today, the Commission tackled the preparations for the electoral process.

Tens of thousands of security forces in Iraq’s self-ruled northern Kurdish region flocked on Thursday to polling centers to vote, two days ahead of the area’s fourth election for local parliament since 1992.

Saturday’s balloting in the region also known as Iraqi Kurdistan is likely to underline the Kurdish minority’s insistence on self-rule and independence from the central, Arab-led government in Baghdad.

Irak ha celebrado hoy sábado sus primeras elecciones desde la salida de las tropas estadounidenses en diciembre de 2011. Un total de 13,8 millones de ciudadanos estaban convocados para renovar las asambleas provinciales. Pero los comicios dicen tanto de la progresiva normalización del país como de su disfuncionalidad. Una docena de bombas caseras y ataques con mortero a otros tantos colegios electorales han dejado cuatro heridos, apenas un recordatorio de la violencia que ha precedido a la cita con las urnas y causado un centenar de muertos desde el pasado domingo.

The Council of Minister decided to postpone holding the next local elections in Anbar and Nineveh provinces for six months.

A statement by the CoM received by IraqiNews.com cited “During its tenth meeting, the CoM decided to postpone holding the next elections in Anbar and Nineveh province for six months according to the request of Anbar Provincial Council to postpone the elections due to the security situation.”