伊拉克议会选举 总理称执政党必将获胜

Iraqis begin to vote in parliamentary elections Iraqis have begun voting in the country's in the parliamentary elections, the first since the withdrawal of U.S. troops in late 2011. Over 21 million Iraqis are eligible to vote. More than 9-thousand candidates from nearly 280 political parties are vying for the 328 seats up for grabs. Incumbent Iraqi Prime Minster Nuri al-Maliki is seeking a third term in office. "On this occasion, I call upon all Iraqis to go to the ballot boxes and participate in large numbers in the election, because those who take part in the election will have the right to criticise and ask for accountability and monitor while those who do not take part in the election will not have that right. I do not want any citizen to miss out on his right in monitoring the election, I wish to see a huge turnout. God willing we will celebrate the success of the election and the defeat the terrorism and those who bet on election postponement. " Observers expect al-Maliki's Shiite 'State of Law' coalition is likely to come out on top. However, it's expected his party will be far from securing a majority as it faces strong challenges from rival Shiite blocs. For more on the election, we spoke earlier with Li Guofu, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the China Institute of International Studies. [Q&A with LGF] Li Guofu, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the China Institute of International Studies.