Iraqis voting in Jordan going on 'smoothly' on second day

Amman - Iraqis living in Jordan cast their votes for the second day Saturday in three days of expatriate polling as part of Iraq's second general elections since a US-led invasion toppled the regime of President Saddam Hussein in 2003. "The polling process is going on smoothly without any problems," Nehad Abbas, head of the Amman bureau of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), told German Press Agency dpa.

"The turnout on Friday was very good in specific election centers in the capital and moderate in others," he said.

A total of 16 election centers has been set up in four cities across Jordan - Amman, Zarqa, Irbid and Madaba.

The Jordanian authorities are providing external security protection for all polling centers and easing residency rules to enable Iraqis to vote without any interference, officials said.

The IHEC estimated the number of Iraqis eligible for voting in Jordan at between 150,000 and 200,000. About 500,000 Iraqis have fled to Jordan since 2003 in search for security, according to UN statistics.

According to Iraqi research centers in Amman, the majority of Iraqis in Jordan were expected to vote for the Iraqiyah front, a secular coalition of Sunni and Shiite candidates, led by former prime minister Iyad Allawi.

The alliance reportedly seeks to effect change in Iraq and ensure the return of stability and justice to the violence-torn Arab country.

About 2 million Iraqis living outside Iraq are expected to cast their votes in 16 countries - Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Turkey, United States, Germany, Britain, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Austria and Australia.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312763,iraqis-voting-in-jordan-going-on-smoothly-on-second-day.html.