44.5 per cent turnout in first Iraqi polls since IS defeat

Baghdad (dpa)- At least 44.5 per cent of Iraq’s voters cast their ballots in the country’s first parliamentary elections since the declaration of the defeat of Islamic State extremist group late last year, preliminary official results showed Saturday.   

An independent commission in charge of the election said more than 10 million of Iraq’s registered voters of 24.3 million turned out at the balloting held on Saturday and for security forces two days earlier.   

“This is not a final result as returns from a number of polling stations have not been sent [to the commission] yet,” head of the electoral commission, Riad al-Badri said at a press conference in the capital Baghdad late Saturday. He did not provide a breakdown.   His remarks came hours after polls closed across Iraq after the one-day voting.   

Official results are expected to be announced on Sunday.   

Areas that were under Islamic State control in Mosul, Kirkuk and Anbar saw the highest participation, while turnout in Baghdad was the lowest, according to Iraqi media.