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On the Streets of Iraq, Scenes of Joy and Determination
A boy greets a U.S. Marine with a playful gesture near a polling station in Fallujah, Iraq. With a security ban on private vehicles imposed in many places for the referendum, children were able to briefly reclaim the streets.
(By Ben Curtis -- Associated Press)
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The electricity was out, and electoral workers had to check voting rolls by the light of a lantern. But that did not dim the enthusiasm of voters at Khomali Kindergarten in the Kurdish-controlled city of Sulaymaniyah.
"This process legitimizes the fate of our nation," said Salih Saeed Mohammed, 64, as he blew on his ink-stained finger. Mohammed, who said he voted in favor of the constitution, was referring to the semiautonomous Kurdish region of Iraq.
Mother and daughter Khawar Abdul Karim, 46, and Shokhan Raheem, 21, emerged from the polling station hand-in-hand. "In January, we voted for the status of the new Iraq government," said Raheem. "Now, we vote for the constitution that gives us our rights as Iraqis."
"We want success for our country," Karim said as she wrapped a piece of tissue around her finger to dry the ink. "Like other countries, we want to have our own constitution."
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Around lunchtime, a platoon of Iraqi police commandos from the Fakher Brigade -- clad in brown-and-green camouflage uniforms, blue flak vests and red berets -- arrived at a Najaf polling station in a fleet of white sport-utility vehicles. After a morning spent patrolling the streets and manning checkpoints, they had been given one hour to vote.
Local police patted them down on their way inside Sajedat High School for Girls. The soldiers dutifully handed over the AK-47 assault rifles slung from their shoulders, to be kept at the entrance until they were finished.
"We were not ordered to come, we were given a choice, but we wanted to be able to support the constitution," said Dhia Mehasen Khadum, 39, a commando who said everyone in his almost entirely Shiite unit was voting in favor of the constitution. "Some of it was good and some of it was bad. I am voting for the good in it."
On their way out, the soldiers were prompted by photographers to mug for the cameras. With rifles held aloft, they chanted together, "Our constitution is done and ready for a vote!" Then, in a slap at Saddam Hussein's political party, they added: "Die Baathists, die Baathists, die Baathists!"
Across the street, Ali Jassim and his two sons opened their fruit and vegetable stall at 7 a.m., two hours earlier than usual, to take advantage of their prime location. Customers streamed in and out from the moment voting began, carting off plastic shopping bags stuffed with onions, garlic, apples and tomatoes.
"Thanks be to God," said Jassim, 34. "It is much better than most days, with so many people passing by." Then, remembering it was Ramadan, the month when Muslims abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours, he quickly added: "No one is breaking the fast. They are only buying things to bring home and eat later."
