Polls Close

NYT reported Iraqis walked through silent streets this morning to begin voting on a new constitution that, if passed, would mark a major step toward the formation of the country's first full-term government since the toppling of Saddam Hussein. The voting started hours after Baghdad and parts of southern Iraq began emerging from a blackout caused by a disruption to a northern power line, possibly due to an explosion and perhaps an insurgent act of sabotage.

That had little effect on the voting. After the country's 6,100 polling centers opened their doors at 7 a.m., people began lining up to get the paper ballots, check off "yes" or "no" for the constitution and drop the sheets into boxes. They then stamped their index fingers with purple ink to show they had voted.

"I came to vote for Iraq," said Fayek al-Ani, a businessman in a collared shirt walking into a polling center in downtown Baghdad. "The most important thing is that I came to vote."....

Of course this little boy did not vote,
but he got a blue finger just like his parents
“During the Saddam regime I lost two sons,’’ said Saliema Khidher, 50. “I have only one daughter left, I am here today to vote with yes for the sake of Iraqi people because I consider them my sons. She added: “Even if I have no idea about’’ the constitution, “I would say yes because al-Sistani said yes to it.’’ Saleh Mahdie, 42, a food shop owner, said that even if there were gaps or mistakes in this new constitution “they could fix them, while the chaos we are in, no one could put an end to it, so I say yes to help my country.’’

Good luck to the newest Democracy in the Middle East