Iraq holds first provincial elections in a decade

People in Iraq headed to the polls on Monday in the first provincial council elections since 2013.The elections are being held under beefed-up security.

The Shiite Muslim alliance is likely to strengthen its power amid an ongoing boycott by populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who is the alliance's main political rival.

Polling is taking place in 15 provinces of Iraq, leaving out three that are autonomous Kurdistan regions.

Some 17 million people are eligible to cast their votes at a total of 7,166 polling stations set up across Iraq.

Polling began in Baghdad, Kirkuk and Basra at 7:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT), as was broadcast by Iraqi state television. The polling will continue until 6:00 p.m. local time.

Why are the elections important for Iraq's future?

More than 6,000 candidates are running in the elections for just 285 seats in the provincial councils.

The elections are seen as an opportunity to redeem democracy in Iraq and pave the way for parliamentary elections scheduled for 2025. They also present a test for Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's government, which was established over a year ago.

The elections are likely to cement the hold of the ruling Coordination Framework coalition, an Iran-aligned bloc that includes Shiite Islamist parties with factions of Hashed al-Shaabi.

Who are the main contenders in Iraq's elections?

The influential Shiite cleric al-Sadr has joined the opposition against the Shiite alliance and is boycotting the local elections.

A vocal critic of the United States and Iran, he said the elections will only help establish the dominance of a corrupt political class.

Many members of the Shiite alliance are running on several lists, with former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki forming his own list.

The top Sunni Muslim leaders in the country, ousted parliament speaker Mohammed Halbousi and business mogul Khamees Khanjar, are running together.

mfi/fb (AFP, Reuters)