Word: iraq
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...Arabic phrase you hear again and again in Iraq is "schwaya, schwaya," which is usually said along with cupped hands held out for emphasis. The translation varies somewhat depending on the circumstances, but generally "schwaya, schwaya" means "hold on" or "go slow" or more formally "patience please." The day after Saturday's nationwide provincial balloting election officials essentially urged Iraqis to take the saying to heart as they wait up to three weeks for the official tally...
...hope that by the end of the week we will have some initial results for you," said Qassim al-Abodi, the chief electoral officer for the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq (IHEC). "In two to three weeks, we will have the final, ratified results, we hope. And we please ask you to be patient until the final ratified results are announced by IHEC. We would like to remind you that only IHEC has the authority to announce the results...
...Iraqi officials say about 7.5 million voters cast ballots across central and southern Iraq Saturday, making for a turnout of roughly 51%. The semi-autonomous northern region of Kurdistan did not participate, but throughout most of Iraq hundreds of polling stations opened early Saturday morning. Some 500,000 independent observers watched over polling centers nationwide, and Iraqi officials say no major incidents or serious complaints were reported. (See TIME's Special Report: "Life Returning to Iraq's Streets...
...vote marked Iraq's second provincial elections, which determine the makeup of provincial councils that in turn elect regional governors. The political stakes in the vote were low compared to politicking at the national level. But the election took on added importance in the eyes of American and Iraqi officials, because it offered a chance for Iraq's Sunni minority, who boycotted the 2005 provincial elections, to rejoin the political process in areas where they have strong numbers such as Anbar and Diyala province. Election day was also seen as a key test for the Iraqi security forces, which staged...
...Iraqis have considered the election a success so far. No major violence broke out, and the complaints seemed no more serious than the inevitable problems that occur when millions of people cast ballots all at once anywhere, including in the U.S., much less in a fragile new democracy like Iraq...