BAGHDAD, Nov 11 (AFP/APP):Iraqis elect a new parliament on Tuesday in a vote that comes at a pivotal time for the country and the wider region, and which both Iran and the United States will be closely watching.
Iraq has been unusually stable in recent years, as the nation tries to move past decades of war and repression under slain dictator Saddam Hussein and since the US-led invasion that toppled him.
But even now, the country of 46 million people suffers from poor infrastructure, failing public services and endemic corruption.
Many have lost hope that elections can bring meaningful change to their daily lives and see the vote as a sham that only benefits political elites and regional powers.
Polling stations will open at 7:00 am local time (0400 GMT) and close at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT).
Despite the scepticism, more than 7,740 candidates, nearly a third of them women, are running for the 329-seat parliament.
Only 75 independents are running under an electoral law that many believe favours larger parties.
More than 21 million people are eligible to vote, but there are fears turnout could drop below the 41 percent registered in 2021 — the lowest since voting began.
“Every four years, the same thing happens. We don’t see young faces or new energies” capable of “making a change,” said university student Al-Hassan Yassin.
