Iraqis prepare to cast their ballots during parliamentary elections at a polling station in Baghdad on April 30. Ali Abbas / EPA
Iraqis prepare to cast their ballots during parliamentary elections at a polling station in Baghdad on April 30. Ali Abbas / EPA

Violence mars first Iraq polls since US pull-out



Iraqis voted on Wednesday in the first national election since US troops left, with prime minister Nouri Al Maliki seeking a third term of office and expressing confidence he will win.

At least 15 people were killed and 23 wounded across the country in polling day attacks, according to police statements, an indication of a recent steady rise in violence, which has seen Al Qaeda affiliated factions growing in power to seize control in western desert regions.

Mr Al Maliki, 63, has hinged his re-election campaign on a promise of security, insisting only he is tough enough to take on Sunni militant groups and restore stability.

Critics of his Shiite dominated government blame him for the increase in sectarian polarisation, saying he has done nothing to ease tensions and unite a divided nation, favouring Shiites and fuelling a sense of disenfranchisement and anger among Iraq’s Sunnis.

Turnout appeared to be relatively low, with early counts from the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) saying around 40 per cent of 21 million eligible voters had cast ballots by late afternoon — a figure indicative of the general low regard with which Iraqis hold their political classes. Polling centres were due to close at 6pm.

“Today is a big success, and even better than the last elections, even though there is no foreign soldier on Iraqi soil,” Mr Al Maliki said, as he cast his vote at the highly fortified Rasheed hotel in central Baghdad. Government forces were deployed in strength throughout the capital. US soldiers pulled out more than two years ago.

Mr Al Maliki’s rule has been controversial, with corruption and poverty rife, power cuts still the norm and growing insecurity. A total of 3,015 civilians were killed in the first three months of this year, according to the unofficial Iraq Body Count website, more than triple the number from a year earlier.

Security officials reported more than 40 attacks yesterday, including mortar fire, roadside bombs and a suicide blast, targeting polling stations or people on their way to vote in northern and western Iraq.

Among those killed were two IHEC employees who died in two bomb blasts as they were being escorted by a military convoy in northern Iraq.

In addition to deteriorating security, Mr Al Maliki has faced persistent accusations of trying to hold onto power at any cost. In August, he successfully sought a High Court ruling that he be allowed to stand for a third term, overcoming objections laid down by parliament, which insisted that all premiers be limited to two terms in office in their lifetimes.

His opponents, and many independent observers say the court and other supposedly impartial organisations, including IHEC, have been staffed by Maliki loyalists and put under political pressure from the prime ministers office. Key security agencies also answer directly to him.

More than 40 MPs have boycotted parliament since December, in protest at the treatment of Sunnis, including arrests and campaigns by anti-terrorist squads they say target them on sectarian grounds.

Mr Al Maliki’s government has also come in for intense criticism from rival Shiite factions, including the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, led by Ammar Al Hakim and the Sadrist Movement of cleric Muqtada Al Sadr, for what they say is his unwillingness to share power.

In the main southern city of Basra, civil servant Adel Salim Khudayr, 52, said he wanted Wednesday to be “a day of change, so there will not be any dictatorship to govern Iraq”.

“We want a real democracy, not a democracy of religious parties. We do not want to elect any candidate from the previous parliament.”

Despite this opposition, anecdotal soundings from Iraqis suggest the prime minister remains popular, especially among many Shiites, who see him as a bulwark against Sunni extremism.

“If we are not coming to vote, who is going to come (to power)?” asked Umm Jabbar, who had queued outside a polling station in the Shiite shrine city of Najaf since 6:00am.

“Will the enemy come? I am voting for Maliki, because he is a thorn in the eyes of the enemy,” said the woman in her eighties, quoting an Arabic proverb.

More than 9,000 candidates are competing for 328 parliament seats. The process is being monitored by more than 1,200 international observers and 30,000 Iraqis.

Official results are due to be announced within 15 days but formation of a government may take much longer. Following the close fought and controversial last election, in December 2010, it took nine months for parliament to agree on a majority government, headed by Mr Al Maliki.

Iran was seen as a key power broker in Mr Al Maliki’s eventual coronation. Since then, Baghdad’s relations with Tehran have gown tighter while its links to the US have cooled, with Washington accusing Iraq of helping Tehran suppress an uprising in Syria, sending in militia fighters and permitting the transport of weapons to regime forces though its airspace.

Major political disputes dogging the country at the time of the 2010 election remain unresolved, including the passage of an energy law, persistent budgetary problems and on-going dispute with the Kurds over the level of autonomy and exploitation of oil rights.

Transparency International, a Berlin-based anti-graft group, ranks Iraq 171st among 175 countries and territories in its 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index. Iraq ranked 137th out of 159 in 2005.

* Reuters and Agence France-Presse

Famous left-handers

- Marie Curie

- Jimi Hendrix

- Leonardo Di Vinci

- David Bowie

- Paul McCartney

- Albert Einstein

- Jack the Ripper

- Barack Obama

- Helen Keller

- Joan of Arc

Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.

Stat of the day – 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.

The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227-4 at the close.

Hidden killer

Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.

The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.

Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.

Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.

Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu. 

The biog

Name: Greg Heinricks

From: Alberta, western Canada

Record fish: 56kg sailfish

Member of: International Game Fish Association

Company: Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Results:

6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 2,000m - Winner: Powderhouse, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 2,200m - Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

7.40pm: Conditions Dh240,000 1,600m - Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash

8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 2,000m - Winner: Key Bid, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe

8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 1,200m - Winner: Drafted, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson

9.25pm: Handicap Dh170,000 1,600m - Winner: Cachao, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

10pm: Handicap Dh190,000 1,400m - Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
If you go...

Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.

Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50

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While you're here ...

Damien McElroy: What happens to Brexit?

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Andrea Matteo Fontana: Europe to emerge stronger

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
War and the virus
Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

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Mane points for safe home colouring
  • Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
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  • When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
  • Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
  • If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
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How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
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  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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Australia men's Test cricket fixtures 2021/22

One-off Test v Afghanistan:
Nov 27-Dec 1: Blundstone Arena, Hobart

The Ashes v England:
Dec 8-12: 1st Test, Gabba, Brisbane
Dec 16-20: 2nd Test, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (day/night)
Dec 26-30: 3rd Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Jan 5-9, 2022: 4th Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Jan 14-18: 5th Test, Optus Stadium, Perth

Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.

It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.

The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.

Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR

US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.

KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.