Fearful and fragmented, Iraqis go to the polls
Iraqis go to the polls today in the first national elections since the withdrawal of US troops against the backdrop of a country increasingly at war with itself. After five national and provincial elections in 10 years, the novelty of casting a ballot and dipping a finger in purple ink has worn thin. But with […]Jane Arraf reports for The Christian Science Monitor:
Iraqis go to the polls today in the first national elections since the withdrawal of US troops against the backdrop of a country increasingly at war with itself.
After five national and provincial elections in 10 years, the novelty of casting a ballot and dipping a finger in purple ink has worn thin. But with the fracturing of traditional political alliances, resurgent sectarian tension, and all-out war against anti-government fighters on Baghdad’s doorstep, the election is seen as a crucial test of whether Iraq will hold together.
