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Iraqi Election in Images

Published October 11th, 2021 - 09:10 GMT

Turnout hit a record low for parliamentary elections in war-scarred Iraq.

Sunday's vote was moved forward from 2022 as a concession to an anti-government protest movement that has demanded deep reforms in the oil-rich yet poverty-stricken country.

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi brought forward the vote to appease a youth-led protest movement that erupted two years ago against graft, unemployment, and crumbling public services.

The premier and national spy chief tweeted that he had "kept his promise and done his duty by organizing fair elections".

The election was held under tight security in a country where key parliamentary blocs have armed factions and Islamic State group jihadists have launched mass-casualty suicide attacks this year.

Official provisional results were now expected until later Monday, but some candidates already claimed victory and celebrated with fireworks overnight in Baghdad and the southern city of Nassiriyah.

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A man dips his finger in ink after voting at a polling station in Iraq's capital Baghdad during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

A man dips his finger in ink after voting at a polling station in Iraq's capital Baghdad during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

Iraqis on October 10 voted in a parliamentary election a year early as a concession to an anti-government protest movement but seen as unlikely to deliver major change to the war-scarred country. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

Iraqis on October 10 voted in a parliamentary election a year early as a concession to an anti-government protest movement but seen as unlikely to deliver major change to the war-scarred country. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi's future hangs in the balance, with few observers willing to predict who will come out on top after the usual political haggling between factions that follow Iraqi elections. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi's future hangs in the balance, with few observers willing to predict who will come out on top after the usual political haggling between factions that follow Iraqi elections. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

A voter scans his fingerprint a scanner while registering his vote at a polling station in the southern city of Nasiriyah in Iraq's Dhi Qar province, during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Asaad NIAZI / AFP)

A voter scans his fingerprint a scanner while registering his vote at a polling station in the southern city of Nasiriyah in Iraq's Dhi Qar province, during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Asaad NIAZI / AFP)

An Iraqi election official holds a printout of the electronic count of votes at a polling station in the northeastern city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Shwan MOHAMMED / AFP)

An Iraqi election official holds a printout of the electronic count of votes at a polling station in the northeastern city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Shwan MOHAMMED / AFP)

Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ride in vehicles while celebrating in the central shrine city of Najaf after the closure of polls during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Ali NAJAFI / AFP)

Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ride in vehicles while celebrating in the central shrine city of Najaf after the closure of polls during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Ali NAJAFI / AFP)

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi's future hangs in the balance, with few observers willing to predict who will come out on top after the usual political haggling between factions that follow Iraqi elections. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi's future hangs in the balance, with few observers willing to predict who will come out on top after the usual political haggling between factions that follow Iraqi elections. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

Supporters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) celebrate with the KDP party flags during Iraq's parliamentary election in Arbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region, on October 10, 2021. Preliminary turnout figures showed many citizens boycotted Iraq's parliamentary election, held a year early to appease protestors, in an oil-rich country riddled by corruption and beholden to armed factions. (Photo by SAFIN HAMED / AFP)

Supporters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) celebrate with the KDP party flags during Iraq's parliamentary election in Arbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region, on October 10, 2021. Preliminary turnout figures showed many citizens boycotted Iraq's parliamentary election, held a year early to appease protestors, in an oil-rich country riddled by corruption and beholden to armed factions. (Photo by SAFIN HAMED / AFP)

A man dips his finger in ink after voting at a polling station in Iraq's capital Baghdad during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Iraqis on October 10 voted in a parliamentary election a year early as a concession to an anti-government protest movement but seen as unlikely to deliver major change to the war-scarred country. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi's future hangs in the balance, with few observers willing to predict who will come out on top after the usual political haggling between factions that follow Iraqi elections. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
A voter scans his fingerprint a scanner while registering his vote at a polling station in the southern city of Nasiriyah in Iraq's Dhi Qar province, during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Asaad NIAZI / AFP)
An Iraqi election official holds a printout of the electronic count of votes at a polling station in the northeastern city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Shwan MOHAMMED / AFP)
Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ride in vehicles while celebrating in the central shrine city of Najaf after the closure of polls during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Ali NAJAFI / AFP)
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi's future hangs in the balance, with few observers willing to predict who will come out on top after the usual political haggling between factions that follow Iraqi elections. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Supporters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) celebrate with the KDP party flags during Iraq's parliamentary election in Arbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region, on October 10, 2021. Preliminary turnout figures showed many citizens boycotted Iraq's parliamentary election, held a year early to appease protestors, in an oil-rich country riddled by corruption and beholden to armed factions. (Photo by SAFIN HAMED / AFP)
A man dips his finger in ink after voting at a polling station in Iraq's capital Baghdad during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
A man dips his finger in ink after voting at a polling station in Iraq's capital Baghdad during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Iraqis on October 10 voted in a parliamentary election a year early as a concession to an anti-government protest movement but seen as unlikely to deliver major change to the war-scarred country. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Iraqis on October 10 voted in a parliamentary election a year early as a concession to an anti-government protest movement but seen as unlikely to deliver major change to the war-scarred country. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi's future hangs in the balance, with few observers willing to predict who will come out on top after the usual political haggling between factions that follow Iraqi elections. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi's future hangs in the balance, with few observers willing to predict who will come out on top after the usual political haggling between factions that follow Iraqi elections. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
A voter scans his fingerprint a scanner while registering his vote at a polling station in the southern city of Nasiriyah in Iraq's Dhi Qar province, during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Asaad NIAZI / AFP)
A voter scans his fingerprint a scanner while registering his vote at a polling station in the southern city of Nasiriyah in Iraq's Dhi Qar province, during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Asaad NIAZI / AFP)
An Iraqi election official holds a printout of the electronic count of votes at a polling station in the northeastern city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Shwan MOHAMMED / AFP)
An Iraqi election official holds a printout of the electronic count of votes at a polling station in the northeastern city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Shwan MOHAMMED / AFP)
Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ride in vehicles while celebrating in the central shrine city of Najaf after the closure of polls during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Ali NAJAFI / AFP)
Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ride in vehicles while celebrating in the central shrine city of Najaf after the closure of polls during the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021. (Photo by Ali NAJAFI / AFP)
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi's future hangs in the balance, with few observers willing to predict who will come out on top after the usual political haggling between factions that follow Iraqi elections. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi's future hangs in the balance, with few observers willing to predict who will come out on top after the usual political haggling between factions that follow Iraqi elections. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Supporters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) celebrate with the KDP party flags during Iraq's parliamentary election in Arbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region, on October 10, 2021. Preliminary turnout figures showed many citizens boycotted Iraq's parliamentary election, held a year early to appease protestors, in an oil-rich country riddled by corruption and beholden to armed factions. (Photo by SAFIN HAMED / AFP)
Supporters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) celebrate with the KDP party flags during Iraq's parliamentary election in Arbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region, on October 10, 2021. Preliminary turnout figures showed many citizens boycotted Iraq's parliamentary election, held a year early to appease protestors, in an oil-rich country riddled by corruption and beholden to armed factions. (Photo by SAFIN HAMED / AFP)

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