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Massive voter fraud reported across Iraq
Electoral monitors yesterday estimated that as many as 150,000 security personnel were left off lists for early voting in Iraq, causing chaos at polling stations across the country. Iraqi hospital staff, prisoners and security service members went to the polls on Thursday.
Of greatest concern to observers were the thousands of missing names of police and army officers, but other issues included multiple voting, individuals bringing weapons into polling stations, intimidation and monitors being denied access.
The widespread problems for the poll of fewer than one million do not bode well for tomorrow's election, when the remainder of Iraq's 19 million-strong electorate cast their ballots.
As tensions rose, the Independent High Electoral Commission ordered special ballot boxes be opened for those who were not on the lists.
"It was the same problem in all the provinces though the extent varied from polling station to polling station," said Ali al Dujaily, secretary for the Tammuz Organization for Social Development, which has 862 observers across the country. "The special boxes caused huge confusion for the process of the election."