Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Voting Starts In Iraq's Hospitals, Prisons

12 December 2005 -- Hospital patients, prison detainees, and security forces in Iraq are voting today at the start of elections for a parliament set to restore full sovereignty to the country nearly three years after the U.S.-led invasion.

Tomorrow, Iraqi voters living outside the country will begin casting their ballots at polling centers in 15 countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The main vote for the 275-member National Assembly that will serve as the first full-term legislature since Saddam Hussein's regime fell in April 2003 will take place on 15 December.

Iraq's Defense Ministry fears an upsurge in violence ahead of the elections and has therefore announced a number of security measures, including overnight curfews and the closing of borders and airports.

(AFP/AP)

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