U.S. president Barack Obama congratulated Iraq for holding a largely peaceful vote for provincial councils across the country and called the elections an "important step forward".
Obama said the U.S. is "proud to have provided technical assistance, along with the United Nations and other international organizations, to Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission, which performed professionally under difficult circumstances."
Voting in the provincial elections ended peacefully amid brisk turnout on Saturday evening. Preliminary results from the electoral commission are expected within five days, while the final numbers are due at the end of February.
Sunnis, who boycotted the January 2005 elections, turned out in force. More than 14,000 candidates were running for just 440 seats on 14 provincial councils. The first nationwide vote in four years is seen as a test of stability before a general election due later this year.
Obama plans to reduce the U.S. military force in Iraq, while moving additional troops to Afghanistan.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.