Story by Staff Sgt. Alex Licea
Date: 01.31.2009
Posted: 01.31.2009 07:10
Iraqis went to the polls on Jan. 31 to cast their ballots in the provincial elections. Citizens in 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces were eligible to vote in the elections.
An Iraqi man proudly shows his ink-stained index finger while his daughter mimics him after casting his vote during the provincial elections on Jan. 31 in the New Baghdad District of eastern Baghdad. Eligible voters in 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces cast ballots to elect new provincial officials. The indelible ink is to symbol a casted vote and prevents a person from casting multiple votes eliminating any potential for voter fraud.
BAGHDAD – Iraqis went to the polls on Jan. 31 to cast their ballots in the provincial elections. Citizens in 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces were eligible to vote in the elections.
Iraqi security forces assigned to the 8th National Police Brigade, 2nd NP Division, were in charge of security during Election Day in the New Baghdad District of eastern Baghdad. Paratroopers assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad acted in a supporting role to their ISF partners across the New Baghdad District. Paratroopers also assisted their ISF partners across eastern Baghdad.
ISF personnel voted Jan. 28 during a special election period in order to allow them to focus on security during the vote.
Polling stations across eastern Baghdad were crowded as voters were subject to security screenings by Iraqi policemen prior to voting. Polls opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 6 p.m.
Schools all across eastern Baghdad were converted to polling stations during the elections. Before heading to his local polling station in New Baghdad an Iraqi man, who simply wanted to be called Mohammed, expressed his excitement.
“I’m very optimistic about the vote this time around, and I feel confident in our government,” said Mohammed, a taxi driver and father of two. “I feel this will be a new beginning for our country, and the population knows its responsibilities to go vote.”
Each person was marked with purple ink on their index finger after voting. The indelible ink is to symbol a casted vote and prevents a person from casting multiple votes eliminating any potential for voter fraud.
Campaign posters across eastern Baghdad have been a common sight for several weeks leading up to the provincial elections as Iraqis have been very involved in the political process. The mood has also changed as many Iraqis felt on Jan. 31 vote was the first real sign of a growing democracy.
The scene was a far cry from the last provincial elections held in 2005 where many Iraqis boycotted the elections due to fears of violence and general lack of knowledge about candidates or political parties.
“I did not vote in 2005 because the situation was not good then,” said Mohammed. “The violence was bad, and we did not have specific candidates to vote for so I just chose not to vote.”
Along with assisting the Iraqi government during Election Day, coalition forces partnered with ISF on several operations leading up to the election. The security operations were in order to achieve a safe and legitimate election.
These elections were a true indicator of how far the ISF have come since 2005. Coalition forces played a primary role in security procedures during the 2005 elections. This time around; however, ISF were responsible for overall security of polling sites.
Paratroopers assigned to 3rd BCT, 82nd Abn. Div., couldn’t help but to comment on the significance of the event as they observed Iraqi citizens heading to the polls.
“My last deployment to Iraq was in 2004, and it is amazing to see how far Iraq has come,” said Staff Sgt. Eric Gross, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. “This is a significant day for the people and country of Iraq.”
Results will be tallied in the coming days in order to see who will be filling the seats in the provincial legislatures. It will take about two months for the newly elected officials to be seated. Provincial governments make and pass laws relevant to their region based on the views and services of the people which elected them.
Provincial governments can be compared to the responsibilities of state governments back in the U.S.