Iraq opens early parliamentary voting for troops and displaced citizens

BAGHDAD, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iraq opened early voting on Sunday for security forces and displaced people ahead of the country's parliamentary elections scheduled for Tuesday, officials said.

Polling stations across the country opened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) and will close at 6 p.m., according to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). More than 1.3 million members of the security forces and about 26,000 displaced people are eligible to vote at 809 centers nationwide, said Fadia Saleh Mahdi, an IHEC official.

The participation of security personnel marks the first phase of the national polls, in which 7,744 candidates, including more than 2,200 women, are competing for 329 seats in the Council of Representatives.

At a polling station in Baghdad's Mansour district, Interior Ministry Colonel Muayad al-Jabri said security forces had tightened measures around voting centers and nearby neighborhoods to ensure the process runs smoothly.

The IHEC said it has set up 8,703 polling centers to accommodate more than 21 million registered voters for the Nov. 11 general election, seen as a key test for Iraq's democracy. Enditem