The voting for the new parliament was held in Iraq today. Large number of people came out for the voting despite sporadic violence at several places in which 24 people were killed.<br/><br/>The US army in a statement has said that all attempts of terrorists have fallen short in deterring voter turnout and Iraqi citizens continue to move to the polls and cast their votes in this historic election in the Middle East.<br/><br/>This was country’s second parliamentary election since the US-led overthrow of former president Saddam Hussein. According to Iraq's electoral commission almost 1 crore 90 lakh Iraqis were eligible to vote at 50 thousand polling stations around the 18 provinces of the country. The fate of 6529 candidates representing 86 political entities has been sealed in the ballot boxes. There are 325 seats in parliament and according to amended electoral law of December 2009, the parliament should comprise 82 female representatives and accordingly each party and coalition list had allotted 25 per cent of its nomination to women candidates.<br/><br/>AIR correspondent Dushyant Ojha reports from Dubai that It was country’s second parliamentary election since the US-led overthrow of former president Saddam Hussein. <br/><br/>Analysts point out that Security is a major concern for Iraqis even after the election but Iraq is on much sounder footing today than it was in last parliamentary election in 2005. According to a report of US army, there have been fewer casualties in last four months than at any time in the last three years.<br/>In this election the fate of more than 6500 candidates mainly from different blocks has been sealed in the ballot boxes for the 325 member parliament which will also include 82 women parliamentarians for the first time.<br/>