BAGHDAD — The Iraqi prime minister’s coalition and its main secular rival both claimed to be ahead in the vote count Monday, a day after historic parliamentary elections that the top U.S. commander said would let all but 50,000 American troops come home by the end of summer.
Sunday’s election, which took place against a backdrop of violence in Baghdad, marked a turning point for the country’s nascent democracy. The winner will help determine whether Iraq can resolve its sectarian divisions and preserve the nation’s fragile security as U.S. troops leave.
Initial results for some provinces, as well as for Baghdad — an area essential to determining any winner — were to be announced today.
The election was only the country’s second for a full parliamentary term, and it attracted 62 percent of about 19 million eligible voters, according to the nation’s election commission. The last such election, in December 2005, attracted roughly 76 percent of eligible voters.
Officials attributed the lower turnout to a combination of voter intimidation, more stringent ID requirements at the polls and a drop in voter excitement. A spate of attacks on election day — some directly targeting voters and polling stations — killed 36 people.
Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, called the election a milestone and said that every sign suggests Iraq will be able to peacefully form a new government, and U.S. combat troops can head home by the end of August.
