Oh well, I would have hoped/thought a larger percentage.
FOXNews.com - Iraqi Election Turnout in Line With Predictions - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News
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Officials say between 55 and 60 percent of voters cast ballots throughout the country. That roughly matches what was predicted before Saturday's vote to select the influential regional councils.
The turnout was about 60 percent in the provinces of Ninevah and Diyala north of Baghdad, as well as Najaf in the south. In Basra, it was about 55 percent.
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On the other hand, if the below is true ... good news.
Iraqi election hints of troubles for Shiite group - Conflict in Iraq- msnbc.com
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BAGHDAD - The biggest Shiite party in Iraq once appeared to hold all the political sway: control of the heartland, the backing of influential clerics and a foot in the government with ambitions to take full control.
But the days of wide-open horizons could be soon ending for the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, and replaced by important shifts that could be welcomed in Washington and scorned in Tehran.
The signs began to take shape Sunday with hints of the voter mood from provincial elections.
The broad message — built on Iraqi media projections and postelection interviews — was that the eventual results would punish religious-leaning factions such as the Supreme Council that are blamed for stoking sectarian violence, and reward secular parties seen capable of holding Iraq's relative calm.
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Quote:
Although official results from Saturday's provincial elections are likely still days away, the early outlines are humbling for The Supreme Council. The group had been considered a linchpin in Iraqi politics as a junior partner in the government that had near seamless political control in the Shiite south.
Some forecasts point to widespread losses for the party across the main Shiite provinces. The blows could include embarrassing stumbles in the key city of Basra and the spiritual center of Najaf — hailed as the future capital in the Supreme Council's dreams for an autonomous Shiite enclave.
In their place, the big election winners appear to be allies of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, according to projections and interviews with political figures who spoke on condition of anonymity because official results are not posted.
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