ANKARA- Iraq will be going to the polls on January 31, 2009 for the first time in more than three years in a vital provincial council elections. Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) published a report on these elections right beforehand. ICG Deputy Program Director for the Middle East and North Africa region, Dr. Joost Hiltermann, shared the outcomes of this report with the audience.

In his presentation, Hiltermann outlined the differences between the 2005 and 2009 provincial elections. Back in 2005, key constituencies such as Sunni Arabs largely stayed away and thus were excluded from power in the councils. The 2009 elections, therefore, will be very important in the sense that it will represent the demographic realities in a better way. Hiltermann outlined the new electoral system to be implemented in the country and the possible repurcussions of this new system on the outcomes.

In an important part of his speech, Hiltermann examined in detail the five states that will be vital for the electoral outcome: Ninewa, Diyala, Anbar, Baghdad and Basra. After mentioning the factors shaping the outcome, Hiltermann answered the questions coming from the audience.