Iraq – A New Beginning

Voting is well under way across Iraq as they decide one question, to approve or reject the draft constitution that was just recently completed.

Whole families marched to the polls, standing in line by the hundreds in the crucial electoral battleground provinces of central Iraq that have mixed populations and will be decisive in whether the draft constitution will pass or fail.

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In the south, the heartland of Iraq’s Shiites, women in head-to-toe veils and men emerged from the polling stations flashing victory signs with fingers stained with indelible, violet ink to ensure everyone votes only once.

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Insurgents attacked five of Baghdad’s 1,200 polling stations with shootings and bombs, wounding seven voters, but there were no major attacks reported as U.S. and Iraqi forces clamped down with major security measures around balloting sites.

American troops in Humvees rattled down Baghdad streets in patrols, while Iraqi soldiers and police ringed polling stations at schools and other public buildings protected by concrete barriers and barbed wire. Iraqi soldiers armed with heavy machine guns looked over polling sites from nearby rooftops.

U.S. troops in tanks and armored vehicles stood not far away as helicopters hovered overhead. Driving was banned to stop suicide car bombings by Sunni-led insurgents determined to wreck the vote.

“Today, I came to vote because I am tired of terrorists, and I want the country to be safe again,” said Zeinab Sahib, a 30-year-old mother of three, one of the first voters at a school in the mainly Shiite neighborhood of Karrada in Baghdad. “This constitution means unity and hope.”

The polls opened at 7 a.m., just hours after government workers restored power that insurgents had sabotaged in the northern part of the country Friday night, plunging the Iraqi capital and surrounding towns into darkness. (Source: AP)

Iraq The Model has this to say about the historic event:

It is really amazing how things have changed in Iraq; three years ago Saddam “won” 100% of the votes in a pathetic referendum that he designed in order to give legitimacy to his reign while yesterday even security detainees were allowed to express their opinion on the constitution through voting and the government and parliament are almost begging the 15 million plus voters to say ‘yes’!
And although many signs indicate that the document is on its way to be ratified, no one can say it is until the people decide which checkbox to tic tomorrow.
Some people would say “Is that all you won, after more than two years of war and violence? That’s only one basic right” well, that is the point; we’ve secured one key right that can help us secure the rest.

See the updates here as well.

Kevin K. at SoCalPundit is following the process here. As he notes, the balloting has begun with relative calm. His plans are for updates through the day. Kevin also points us to Milblogger Chester who is live-blogging the voting process.

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Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Iraq, and with our men and women helping to secure their freedom.

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