An Iraqi woman voted in provincial elections on Saturday at a Baghdad school. Over all, the day passed peacefully. Johan Spanner for The New York TimesGovernment Allies See Gains In Iraqi Elections -- Yahoo News/AP
BAGHDAD – Allies of Iraq's U.S.-backed prime minister appeared Sunday to have made gains in the provincial elections, rewarding groups credited with reining in insurgents and militias, according to unofficial projections.
Initial results from Saturday's landmark voting are not expected for days. But reports by Iraqi media and interviews by The Associated Press suggest candidates backing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had strong showings in the crucial Shiite heartland in southern Iraq.
If the indications prove true, it would strengthen al-Maliki's hand ahead of national elections later this year and reflect a shift away from the more religious parties dominating the country.
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More News On Iraq's Elections
Iraqi Government Allies See Gains in Unofficial Election Indicators -- Voice Of America
Iraqi election turnout 51%: electoral commission -- China View
Iraq vote turnout 51%: electoral commission -- AFP
Millions Turn Out for Iraq's 'Turning Point' Election -- Daily Telegraph
IRAQ: Low turnout mars Iraqi election -- LA Times
In Iraq, Security Trumps Sectarianism at Polls -- Los Angeles Times
Pointing to a New Era, US Pulls Back as Iraqis Vote -- New York Time
Iraqi Fighters Swap Bullets for Ballots -- The Times
Iraq's Diyala Province Puts Power of Ballot to the Test -- Washington Post
Iraqi Polls Close in Landmark Election -- Voice of America
Under Tight Security, Elections Are Calm in Iraq -- New York Times
Iraq's Voters Cast Ballots Under Intense Security -- Washington Post
Surge in voting by Iraqi Sunnis -- BBC
Obama and UN Applaud Iraq's Peaceful Election -- Toronto Star
Obama praises peaceful Iraq polls -- BBC
Order Maintained as Iraqis Vote -- Associated Press
In Iraq, security trumps sectarianism at polls -- LA Times
Iraqi PM Hails Vote as 'Victory' -- BBC News
US says 2 Iraqi police killed in shooting -- Yahoo News/AP
IRAQ ELECTIONS: Peaceful vote amid security, confusion -- San Francisco Chronicle
Voting Goes Smoothly as GIs Observe -- Stars and Stripes
Divisions Threaten Fair Election in Iraqi Province -- New York Times
Elections Avoid Violence but Complaints Loom -- Associated Press
Mood 'Festive' As Iraqis Elect Provincial Councils -- Radio Free Europe
Iraqi election is mostly peaceful and orderly -- International Herald Tribune
Tight security as Iraqis vote for peace, change -- Reuters
Some Shiites Bemoan Sadr Movement's Diminished Role -- Los Angeles Times
Iraqi Christians Caught in Middle of Mosul Vote -- Associated Press
Election confirms lesser role for U.S. in Iraq -- STL Today
In Pictures: Iraq's Landmark Poll -- BBC News
January 31, 2009 - US soldiers from the Bravo 5-1 Cavalry stand guard as Iraqi women enter a polling station in the eastern town of Khanaqin, in Diyala province near Iraq's border with Iran. Millions of Iraqis voted in provincial elections in a crucial test for a nation struggling to emerge from years of sectarian strife and to strengthen its fledgling democracy. (FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)