Roughly 24.5 million voters face a fragmented political landscape five months after IS were ousted, with the dominant Shiites split, the Kurds in disarray and Sunnis sidelined. At a polling station in the Baghdad district of Karrada, 74-year-old Sami Wadi appealed for change “to save the country”. “I am voting for security and the economy to stabilise and for a better future,” said labourer Ali Fahmi, 26. Iraq has long been a crucible for the rivalry between Iran and the US, with Tehran exerting influence over Shiite politicians and Washington deploying troops to fight IS. Putting on a brave face, the prime minister of autonomous Kurdistan, Nechirvan Barzani, insisted the political process would not succeed “without Kurdish participation”.

Source: The Guardian May 12, 2018 08:48 UTC