(21 Sep 2013) Polls closed on Saturday after voters in Iraq's northern Kurdish autonomous region cast ballots in local parliamentary elections, in which smaller parties were hoping to challenge the region's longtime political establishment.
The election for the Kurdistan Regional Government's 111-seat legislature comes as Iraq's Kurds look to bolster their autonomy while insulating their increasingly prosperous enclave from the growing violence roiling the rest of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.
Security was tight for the vote.
Approaches to the regional capital Irbil and other major cities were closed, and voters were searched before being allowed into polling centres.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) of regional President Massoud Barzani are looking to maintain their dominance in the face of challenges by smaller parties, including opposition group known as Gorran, or Change, that had a surprisingly strong showing in the last vote in 2009.
The KDP and PUK have defended their record in keeping the region safer and more economically successful than much of the rest of Iraq, but the opposition's charges that they tolerate graft and nepotism have struck a chord with some voters.
The two dominant parties previously competed on a joint list but are running independently this time around.
The PUK faces a particularly tough challenge in its stronghold of Sulaimaniyah.
Party leader Talabani suffered a stroke in December and is recovering in a German hospital. Few details have been released about the severity of his illness.
The results are unlikely to significantly affect the Kurds' push for greater regional autonomy or ongoing disputes with Baghdad.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
